Can't Go Back to Yesterday
by Ana the Romantic
Summary: Alice is nearly three years older and madder when she finishes her business in China. With an unexpected birthday gift she finds herself on a path to discover more of herself and more memories she's forgotten, now with a rather mad hatter at her side. AxT
1. Prologue

**Summary****: **Alice is nearly three years older and madder when she finishes her business in China. With an unexpected birthday gift she finds herself on a path to discover more of herself and Underland with a rather mad hatter at her side. AxT

**Disclaimer**: I only claim to think up the plot of this story. I do not own Alice in Wonderland, any version past or present. They belong to their rightful owners (That being Lewis Carroll, Tim Burton and the like) and short of taking over the world, I have no right to any of them. I am doing this for amusement purposes and am gaining no money from it. In other words, I am just going to borrow them to play with for a few dozen chapters. Although, if Burton so wishes to pay me by way of Mad Hatter, we should talk…

**A/N**: Okay, so… I've been really busy lately going this way and that trying to get my life into some kind of order and recently was promoted into a leadership role in Disney. But the call of writing fan fiction couldn't be held off for too long. Even though I may be writing this within the time that Tarrant fan girls run wild, it probably will be posted much later, but hey, I need to get it out of my system. I hope you like because I really loved the movie and felt that the ending should have been better. Really, Burton, give us fan girls some loving. On top of everything else, some things may be a little confusing plot wise, since I will be referencing Through the Looking Glass quite often along with the movie. I will explain through author's notes as we go on, if need be. If I do this correctly, I won't need to as often as I think I will. Always up for a challenge! Especially when I am the one that makes things more complicated in the first place. Now, without further ado, here is my contribution to the AiW fandom!

**Can't Go Back to Yesterday**

**By Ana the Romantic**

"_I can't go back to yesterday- because I was a different person then."_

-Alice, _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_

By Lewis Carroll

**Prologue**:

A gentle breeze flavored with the salty taste of the ocean swept across the deck of the Wonder as she made her way into the dock. The wood of the old dock creaked against the lapping waves in the distance as other ships and boats came into view. Some of the crew ran to prepare the ship for her final port, some stood at the bow to watch their home grow closer… as others looked back out to sea. The vastness of the world began to shrink the closer that the crew came to land. Places that were not even imagined while in London were fading back into their minds as memories and the grip of absolute freedom was melting away.

At least that's what it felt like to Alice Kingsley.

Alice gripped the railing of the Wonder as the ocean disappeared from view and the fact that she was coming back to England- a place she had always wished to escape- was slammed to the forefront of her mind. She felt the familiar, gentle bump of the side of the Wonder kiss the dock and patted the railing under her hands in a fond farewell.

"It has been an adventure," she whispered to the ship as if it was listening, "And I thank you for it, my dear friend. Fairfarren, Wonder."

"Thinking back on our trip, my dear?" a tired voice said from behind her.

Alice turned with a small smile to Lord Ascot who held a few of the trading papers under one arm. She nodded and walked to his side as they made their way to the gangplank, "As it seems I will do for years to come."

"Now, no feeling melancholy on your return home," he waved a finger in her face as if she was still a young child, "You have done us well. The company will survive on this venture for years to come all thanks to you, Alice."

"Thank you for the flattery, my lord," she blushed a little, still unaccustomed to the adoration, "I just wish I was there to enjoy the growth of the company along with you."

During much of the trading delegations she was asked to leave the room while Lord Ascot read from the notes she had written. Just for the fact that she was a woman. It infuriated her each time since it was her work and tireless hours poured out onto the table in front of them in the meetings. The men from both China and from her own father's company did not look on her with the respect that she deserved, nor earned. It seemed as if Lord Ascot was the only one who knew what a mastermind she really was and the asset to the company that she had become. For over two years, nearly three, she dealt with the uncompromising minds of their trading colleges. Now on the eve of her twenty-second birthday, she was finally feeling that she had accomplished her part in her father's dream- even if others didn't recognize her as the driving force behind the success.

"They will see the truth of it all soon enough, my apprentice," he patted her on the back and looked out on the dock at the small group that had come to greet them, "It looks as if my wife has come to greet me. My son must be busy with that new wife of his."

"I was so happy to hear from your wife's letters that he had finally found someone suitable for his indigestion," Alice smiled to herself.

"Indeed," Lord Ascot chuckled a little and then turned his eyes to the small group to the side of his wife, "And it seems as if your mother and sister have come to see you home as well."

Alice lifted her eyes to her family. Her sister, Margaret, held a small bundle in her arms, covered with blue and white lace. Alice smiled to herself when the thought that the small baby boy in her arms was made of the material himself since she had yet to see any of her nephew's skin. Lowell was nowhere to be seen, as Alice would prefer as she still did not take kindly to the man. Margaret smiled to her little sister and cooed at the little one in her arms.

Alice turned then to her mother who smiled at seeing her daughter returned, but had a crease in her forehead. Alice knew that crease well. It meant that her mother didn't approve of something.

Alice looked to herself and the clothing that she had chosen. In her two years abroad, she filled out in all the right places a young lady should and couldn't be mistaken as a young lad anymore, even when she decided to wear trousers. The suit that she wore on her voyage home was similar in cut to the clothing she wore when she left. Although, instead of a light blue, she chose a variety of greens that was just on the right side of being considered mad. She always had a penchant for green. Especially since her last adventure down the rabbit hole. Suddenly she remembered why she felt her freedom slipping. There was always someone watching, someone judging, and someone disapproving.

"Well, I didn't wear them for mother to be enthused," she muttered to herself before she followed Lord Ascot from the Wonder.

Lord Ascot turned toward her before they made their way to their respected families, "I do have one surprise for you before we part ways for the night."

"And what is that?" Alice asked with a slight tilt of her head.

Ascot laughed lightly and turned her around to see something being taken from the ship. It was a rather large, rectangle object covered with a dusty sheet. Alice walked slowly toward it as it was placed with some of the other objects. She gripped the sheet and uncovered an ornate, gold framed mirror. The gold swirled and wrapped around itself as it cuddled and caressed the glass. Alice tried to take in the details, but her mind couldn't grasp them all. At least, not yet. Her surprised reflection shown back at her and she touched the frame in astonishment before she turned back to Ascot.

"You didn't have to-" she shook her head a little.

He held up a hand to stop her from going any further, "I saw it and felt as if it was made for you and had to get it. It is for your help with the company. And if you won't accept that answer, than consider it an early birthday gift."

"Thank you," Alice smiled genuinely and stroked the mirror once more before a few men wrapped it in the sheet again and lugged it toward her mother's carriage. Alice watched them closely to make sure they were being careful and sighed.

It was strange.

She could have sworn that she saw a large blue butterfly escape from under the sheet before the last rope was looped around the mirror.

"Curious…"


	2. Where there was a hole

**Chapter I**: Where there was a hole…

"Alice, my dear daughter!" Helen Kingsley cried as she walked toward Alice.

Alice kept her eyes on the fluttering blue butterfly above her head, but managed to smile a little at her mother's enthusiasm. The butterfly stayed suspended in the air above and just to the right of her head as if it was trying to keep her attention. Alice was about to call out to the butterfly as if it was a dear friend from long ago when she heard her mother's boots click against the ground closer toward her. Hesitantly she drew her eyes from the blue butterfly that finally began to fly into the clouds, "I guess it wasn't Absolem."

"Alice," her mother called again and tapped her on her shoulder, "Dear?"

Alice turned around to her mother with Margaret following behind, "Hello mother, it's good to see you again."

"For a moment, I didn't think that you heard me, dearest," he mother frowned a little and then hugged her daughter tightly against her. She mumbled into Alice's shoulder and patted her back affectionately, "It is good to have you back."

"Thank you, mother," Alice said a little surprised by the hug. Her mother never was one for physical affection unless it had come to her father. Alice patted her on the back carefully and then shifted her eyes to Margaret after her mother leaned away from her, "I see that motherhood suits you."

"I am glad," Margaret nodded, "His name is Samson."

Alice nodded in agreement of the name- even though she found it a little dull- and Margaret rushed forward to give her little sister a hug with her free arm. Alice looked down into her other arm where her new nephew Samson looked up at her with curious eyes, "He has Lowell's hair."

"And thankfully father's eyes," Margaret cooed at the baby and then saw the appreciative smile from Alice. Margaret chuckled warmly and tapped her forehead against Alice's, "Welcome home, little sister."

_Home…_Alice's eyes softened a little as she thought of a completely different world.

Faces of creatures passed in front of her mind's eye and giant mushrooms nearly sprung from the rooftops of the buildings around her. The clearing London fog suddenly took a likeness of smoke from a familiar hookah. A grin appeared from the shadows in the small alleyways without a body to go along with it and Alice grinned sadly along with it. She heard an argument between two young boys in the distance and the distinct sound of pushing and shoving. Then she thought she had seen a quick flash of bright orange and green run through the crowd before her. She could feel her breath catch in her throat and her breath hitch as her hopes rose at seeing him again. Just as she had promised.

"Alice?"

She shook her head as the visions of her dear friends disappeared and saw instead the worried glances from both her mother and sister. She smiled faintly and furrowed her brows, "I have truly missed home."

"I thought as much," Helen nodded her head in acceptance of the misplaced homesickness.

'I wish I could go back,' Alice sighed as she thought to herself and searched the sky for the blue butterfly again, 'Come back, Absolem. I will never doubt you again.'

"Now, you have so much to tell us," Helen looped her arm through Alice's and walked with her toward their carriage where her new mirror was tied down, "How was the country of China? Did you meet savages there?"

"They are not savages," Alice climbed in after her mother and then helped Margaret in with Samson, "They are quite polite when it didn't come to business arrangements. They just have a different culture."

"Any men that I should know about from your travels?" her mother grinned.

"Mother…" Alice groaned a little.

"I was just thinking of your future," her mother commented as all three women settled into the seats of the carriage, "You are turning twenty-two tomorrow. I was hoping that you had found a suitable man in your travels."

"I do not need to find a suitable man to be happy," Alice sighed and looked out the window of the carriage a little distracted and even more so discontented; wondering if she did indeed agree with herself. She did always have the best advice, despite if she decided to follow it. Helen took a quick look at her youngest daughter and then looked at Margaret for some help in understanding.

"So you say, Alice," Margaret sighed as saw the loneliness in her sister's eyes, "Just think on it, will you?"

Alice only nodded, but continued to stare at the window to spot how many things had bright orange or vibrant green in their color scheme. She did not find much that did. Colors seemed so dull in London.

"On the bright side of you returning, there is a party in your honor at the Ascot estate later in the evening," Helen clapped her hands together with a soft smile, "It will act as your birthday party. It was quite a nice suggestion from Lady Ascot."

"It is extraordinary since she does not think highly of me," Alice said in agreement.

"Alice!" he mother frowned. Alice opened her mouth to retort when Margaret interrupted another argument.

"I think you should take a nap and a long bath to sooth yourself when we get home, Alice," Margaret warned and rocked Samson in her arms since he was becoming fussy. She gently shushed him and tucked him further in the blue lace, "It seems that the rocking waves of your travels have not bettered your fiery spirit."

"I think that a nap just may be in order before the party," Alice nodded her agreement and stepped out of the carriage as soon as it stopped. She ignored the protests of her mother and sister at her abrupt exit of the carriage.

'Firey spirit, says she,' Alice fumed and ran up the stairs in her breeches, tugging off the dark green jacket as she went. She couldn't wait to take a nap and dream once again of her friends and Underland, 'It is called muchness, thank you- as if you could recognize it if it were right in front of you.'

* * *

Alice yawned and stretched a good hour after she threw herself upon her bed. The nap had done her some good since she had opted to help on the deck instead of sleeping on the last day of her trip back from China. She wanted to feel free as long as she could before she reached her childhood home of London. She knew then that dresses and corsets would come back into play and she would rather stay on board the Wonder and become a deck hand.

She sat up on her bed and looked at the wardrobe where a beautiful crème colored dress hung taunting her. It was just like before. Her pantalettes, chemise and the dreaded corset lay out neatly beside the new dress and she frowned at each piece. There were at least two petticoats to the side of those at which she would chose to wear only the one and no corset if she could get away with it.

Alice walked to the wardrobe and ran her hand over the fine material of the dress. It was a beautiful dress, she would admit, much like the one that Queen Mirana had worn on her last trip down the rabbit hole.

"If only you were white," Alice mused to the dress and tugged at the sleeves.

"We could order a few white dresses, if you wish, miss," a light voice said from the doorway.

Alice turned to see a young woman not too much younger than herself with a bowl and a pitcher of water in her arms. Two men struggled in with her mirror and placed it against the wall next to her door before they bowed on their way out. Alice could only muse on how inappropriate it was for them to bow to her. She wasn't royalty. Her eyes inadvertently shifted to the dress to her right. At least she didn't think herself royalty.

"Miss?" the young woman asked as the door closed behind the two men.

"I'm sorry," Alice blinked quickly and looked her over, "I haven't seen you before."

"My name is Mary," she bowed her head a little and placed the bowl and water on the small table beside her new mirror, "Your mother hired me to help you prepare for the party and any other functions that may present themselves. I am also to help you order or fit any dresses that you may like to have."

"Thank you for your help, Mary," Alice smiled genuinely at the young woman, "But I have dressed myself since I was before your age."

"But it is my job to get you prepared, so says your mother," she reiterated and pulled gently on Alice's hand. Suddenly Mary seemed much older than her real age and reminded Alice of many of the maids that had scolded her for jumping in puddles as a child, "Come, let's get your face washed and done. Then I can do your hair and we can get you covered properly."

"Properly?" Alice looked down at the trousers and shirt that she was still wearing and looked at herself in her new mirror. She looked fine.

"Yes, that will not do for your own birthday celebrations, miss."

'There goes my days of corset less existence,' Alice thought glumly to herself and sighed as the bowl was filled and she washed her face, 'I will have to thank mother later.'

* * *

Alice felt like she was weighted down once she was fitted in her new dress and all that layered below it. She amused herself a little thinking that all the undergarments were a way to anchor her to the ground so she couldn't run from her own dull and drab birthday celebration. She much rather would be celebrating her unbirthday around a long, confusing tea table.

Alice instead found herself among the other ladies in the middle of the Ascot estate. She noticed that the crème dress blended with many of the diluted colors of the other dresses around her. Alice smiled politely to the other girls and young women around her. They were all younger than her, but they were of the unmarried variety, just like her. She looked over at her sister and mother who were laughing along with Lady Ascot and the newest Lady Ascot, Hamish's lucky bride. She even saw the Chataway sisters in their circle and sighed to herself.

'No wonder mother is worried if they were both married before I was,' Alice thought to herself and took a sip of the light wine in her hand.

Her eyes darted from her mother's group to the group of young men. She saw some of the men that had come to the party on her mother's assistance, she was sure. Many of them had a hungry look in their eyes and some even looked to have a challenge. They would all ask her to dance and then see if they could break her at one point or another. She would like to see them try.

She smiled to herself and then frowned as she scratched a little at her stiff petticoat. How she hated the clothing here! How she longed for the soft silks of China or the material that she dressed in while at Marmoreal. On top of that her hair was stacked upon her head in fancy curls and circles. She marveled at Mary's skill, but she wished that she had used that skill on someone else's head. She always liked her hair down and free.

'I'd much rather be in the champion's armor than this,' she smiled to herself.

"Miss Kingsley?"

Alice turned with a smile to her older business partner, "Lord Ascot?"

"How are your celebrations?" he asked her and held out an arm for her to take.

She took it with a genuine grin, "Although I do appreciate the gesture… to tell you the truth, it seems I do not fall into the same category as my 'peers'."

"It looked like you were a bit uncomfortable," he nodded and walked with her toward a familiar gazebo, "You do look lovely in a dress, my dear."

"If I could breath, I would agree," she hissed between breaths.

"Your mother got you in that dreadful corset, did she?" he chuckled.

"She hired a young maid just for the purpose of dressing me," Alice rolled her eyes knowing that it was nowhere near ladylike.

"Well, I have served as a distraction if you should need a break," Lord Ascot took her arm from his and shifted his eyes toward the path to the trees she had escaped through nearly three years ago.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Just don't wander too far," he warned as she began to walk to the trees, "There are some developments that have been done nearby thanks to my wife. Do be weary where you tread."

"I will," she waved and walked through the trees.

Suddenly she felt a sense of adventure run through her. Familiar, yet grown bushes surrounded her, along with trees that had once not been so thick.

"This was the same path," she said to herself after a few dozen moments, "This was the path I took back."

She looked ahead and could see a faint outline of Nivens McTwisp leading her back to the tree. The copy tapped on the side of a faint pocket watch and the turned back to start hopping down the path. She smiled and giggled as she followed the little fellow in the waistcoat feeling like her six year old self again. Despite the corset around her waist she found the breath to run after the specter and stumbled up the hill where she knew she would find the tree.

And the rabbit hole...

Would she be able to fall back into Underland? Would she be able to push herself away from her family and the life she had finally made for herself here? Alice briefly paused and looked back at the party nestled in the middle of the estate.

"I have finished what I said I would. I have answered my many questions. So, should I stay here?" she asked herself and touched where her ribs ached from the corset. She grimaced and turned back in the direction of the tree and crawled back after the ghost form of her friend, "…Or does another adventure call me?"

She lifted herself over the hill with a smile of joy and a breath of struggled air. She grinned at the thought that she had made it, she was going to fall again, even if it took all the breath her lungs could muster. She lifted her head and her face instantly fell.

There was no tree. No twisted branches. No small clearing.

And even worse… no rabbit hole.

Instead there was a small, new fountain and gazebo to look over the estate. It did give quite a view, but it didn't give Alice her way back. The specter of Nivens looked at her confused from a spot on the fountain edge and then faded into the air as if he had never been. Which in fact he hadn't. It was her imagination once more. Alice shook her head and knelt to the ground.

"How is this development?" Alice felt the slight sting of tears behind her eyes and shut them tightly so they wouldn't show, "It blocks my only way home…"

After kneeling on the ground she saw one small mushroom to her side and she tapped its top slightly. She knew she couldn't stay on the ground. They would begin to ask for her at the party, she knew. She pushed herself up and slowly dragged her feet along with her.

She was content in her travels, she knew. On particular days she would even call herself happy. But that was because she knew that when she would come back to London, she would have a way back. At least she thought she would have a way back.

Alice brought a hand to her cheek where she felt the slight touch of moisture and found it to be a tear. She cringed at the single tear and then shook her head, "Nothing was ever solved by tears, you stupid girl."

She laughed at herself for a moment since she had remembered Absolem's words from what now felt so long ago. He was right then. And he was still right now. She would face her new problem as she had faced the Jabberwock. In the face of impossibility, a Kingsley always added it to their list and went on to breakfast. She would find her way back to Underland. She made a promise after all.

"_I will be back before you know it."_

Alice took a deep breath and went back to the party where she danced with suitor after suitor and smiled as if she was entertained. She did so to appease her mother and sister and then talked a little business with Lord Ascot who noticed that she seemed a bit worn. She then went back home after excusing herself, changed into a comfortable night dress and soft robe and again found herself without a proposal and without a way back to Underland.

"There has got to be a way home and I will find it," she whispered to herself as she leaned over a piece of paper under her writing quill, "If I stay here, I will surely die. In all these drab colors and stiff corsets- the muchness in me will run out until I am not Alice at all."

Suddenly a flash of blue fluttered in front of her face and she leaned back in surprise to see the same blue butterfly from the harbor, "Well, hello again, my friend. How did you get in here? Did Mary leave a window open?"

The butterfly flew from her face toward the mirror and settled on one of its corners.

"Curiouser and curiouser," she smirked and walked toward the mirror.

She reached out toward her own reflection and touched the surface of the mirror, "If I had a world of my own…"

"What makes you think you don't?" a voice asked from her right side.

She jumped as she thought that someone was in the room with her. When she saw no one else but the butterfly she squinted up at him.

"Absolem?" she squeaked up at the blue monarch butterfly sitting on her new mirror.

She put a hand on the side of the mirror to balance herself when she heard the voice again.

"Hmph," the voice puffed as Alice could clearly see Absolem's face in place of the butterfly's, "And here I thought that you would have the decency to remember me, you stupid girl."

Alice had never remembered a time she felt so happy to see an insect before.


	3. Stepping Back

**Disclaimer:** The lines written in italic from Alice's memories are taken from 'Through the Looking Glass'. I do not own them and do not present it as thus. Everything else on the other hand, is my own creation.

**A/N**: And the chapter that a good portion has waited for. Tarrant makes his apperance this chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

**Chapter II**: Stepping Back

"So it is you," she smiled and held the mirror tighter in her grasp as she stared at Absolem, "It's nice to see you again. Why didn't you talk to me before on the dock when I first came back?"

"Just because you don't listen, does not mean that I didn't talk," he answered and took a puff from a small hookah he had connected to his back that she just noticed.

"Are you here by way of the White Queen?" Alice asked as she didn't want to argue with him at the moment and felt that another point of conversation was needed.

"I am here on my own will," he answered slowly, "And by yours as well."

"Mine?" Alice asked and tilted her head to the side in thought.

"You did wish to find a way home, did you not?" he asked lazily with another puff of his hookah although a knowing smile spread on his face.

"I did," she nodded, "You know another way other than the rabbit hole?"

"How do you think I made it here to this Otherland? I am not a rabbit, and thusly do not travel by way of a _rabbit_ hole."

"Then where is the portal?" she asked excitedly. She knew she was dreadfully late for a certain tea party. She hoped that they could all forgive her.

"The answers you look for the most are usually right in front of you," Absolem answered and fluttered from the mirror's corner.

"Wait, Absolem!" Alice let go of the mirror to follow him around the room.

He didn't answer her pleas this time as he flew about her room. He then spun in such a quick circle around her head that she felt herself grow dizzy in her effort to follow him. She followed him carefully with her eyes and then saw him fly out what she could have sworn was the now open window. As she righted herself she noticed that it wasn't the window he flew out of at all. But he in fact flew out the reflection of her bedroom window in her new mirror.

Alice walked to the mirror to look at the reflection and then turned around to her window to find it closed and not opened like it was reflected. She furrowed her brows in thought and then turned back to mirror. The room reflected in the mirror did look like her own, but it was day time and so much more colorful than what she truly lived in.

"What a great, proper room," she smiled and noticed the variety of blues and silvers that she really enjoyed but was never able to incorporate into her room by order of her mother. Through the mirror, she even felt the warmth of what had to be from the sun even though it was night time in London, "Is this the home that awaits me in Underland?"

She felt like something was missing in the picture in front of her and suddenly realized that her own reflection was missing.

"Now why does this seem familiar?" she asked herself and had a slight flashback to a day where she sat on the carpet in the front room with Dinah and her two kittens.

'_-and if you're not good directly,'_ Alice heard her younger self talk to the black kitten, '_I'll put you through into Looking-Glass House. How would you like that?_'

"I would like that very much…" Alice answered herself.

Alice looked at the mirror in front of her and carefully took in the detail of the frame. There in the gentle curves and swirls of the frame she saw faces and items that she had overlooked. There in the top corner was a large caterpillar with swirls of smoke around him and catching the glass of the mirror in place. Further down she saw two boys fighting over what looked to be a broken rattle where the next corner of the mirror was tucked carefully into the crack of the rattle. On the opposite corner from the boys was a small, fancy crown that Alice couldn't have made out by just a simple glance. Around the crown were turrets that reminded her of the castle in Marmoreal. Between the fighting twins and the crown was a large crescent moon curved upwards like a certain grin she knew of. She could almost make out the eyes in the curve of the frame. Then in the top left corner she saw a large top hat, tilted just so as if to invited her to sit and stay just a bit longer. A tea pot with steam curling within the smoke of the hookah on the opposite side sat next to the hat.

"…right in front of me," she whispered and reached out to the mirror's surface. Her hand shook with apprehension. Part of her mind feared that her hand would hit the cool surface of the large looking glass while her heart knew that it wouldn't. Her heart knew that she would be able to pass through as if it was a simple doorway she had to pass through to get from one room to another. She hesitated and closed her eyes in concentration.

"Count them Alice," she hissed at herself before she could lose her muchness, "Start with one."

She took a large breath and pushed her arm through the mirror quite swiftly. Her hand didn't feel the pressure of the glass, didn't hit resistance and felt the warmth of the sun on her fingertips. She smiled with a nervous chuckle as she opened her eyes.

"One, I can step through a looking glass into Underland," she laughed loudly and pulled her arm back, "I can and I will."

She looked at her nightdress and shook her head at the thought that it just wouldn't do. She ran quickly to her wardrobe with a careful glance back at the mirror to make sure the portal wouldn't close as soon as she found it. She pulled out a light blue dress that she knew would not need a corset or stockings, her favorite pair of brown boots and changed quickly. She had a moment of guilt when she thought of Mary. With her leaving, Mary would no longer be needed in the Kingsley household.

"I could always come back for her," she mused, but her mind immediately dissuaded her of the idea. She wouldn't be coming back, and she knew that.

She paused quickly in her preparation and looked at her bedroom door. Her mother would be awfully worried if she just left without word, but she couldn't very well tell her where she was going. She wouldn't believe her even if she had decided to tell her the truth. Alice furrowed her brows as she thought of what to do about her mother. Her sister would worry, truly, but she had her own family that would need her. Soon enough she would tell her new baby Samson about his eccentric aunt and that would give him just that amount of imagination to create things just as one with Kingsley blood would do.

Alice walked to her writing desk and leaned over the same piece of paper she had just before she had planned to go to bed. She thought carefully on what to write to her mother. A long letter, perhaps? Or would that make her think the worst of her daughter's fate and think she took her own life?

Alice shook her head of the awful thoughts and instead wrote only three words that would ultimately comfort her mother:

_I am happy._

She smiled down at the simple proclamation and signed it with 'Love, Alice'.

She then turned back to the mirror and the sunny, colorful version of her room. She decided to not take anything from her room except for herself and her memories of happier times.

"Why should I take anything?" she asked herself as she walked to the mirror with a Cheshire grin, "It seems as if the other room has all that I have here. All it's missing is me."

And with that Alice stepped through the looking glass and left her silly reality behind. The mirror turned dull again and reflected the room she left behind, the frame turning back into a thick gold, rectangle.

* * *

Tarrant Hightopp was a fairly patient man, or so he thought. He had waited years- which really felt like centuries, but could all be the same since Time had still not quite agreed with him- for the right Alice to come back and slay the Jabberwock and take the Bloody Big Head from her throne. He did it in stride since Frabjous day was foretold by the Oraculum and that it was to come to pass. And passed it did a little too quickly. With precious Alice in tow.

Lately Tarrant had noticed that time was being more of a finicky fellow than usual. It was passing slower and ever so drearily. He knew that he wasn't totally miserable, but he felt nearly content when he wished to be happy once more.

The tea party was in full swing once again by the newly rebuilt windmill. Thackery was pouring tea through one broken cup into another and then took up his spoon to stir in the sugar that Mallymkun had thrown over. Instead of getting to the stirring, he stared into the silver utensil and began to chant its own name at it. Mallymkun continued about her tale of jousting with the Bandersnatch at Marmoreal during a visit while she politely snacked on a nearby scone. Tarrant Hightopp, on the other hand, looked into his tea cup and furrowed his brows as his eyes turned to a pinkish tint.

'Where could she be?' he asked himself yet again as one hand gripped his tea cup harder and his other gripped the armrest of his chair, 'She said she would be back before I knew it. And I have known it time and time again and she has not been back. Unless time has not moved at all, and playing a trick upon my mind. The tricky fellow would make it seem as he has passed me, but in fact has just run so fast that he has come to the same spot, as if he had never left to begin with. Making Alice seem so very much further away than she should. Should… She _should_ be here, drinking tea-'

"Hatter!" Mallymkun tapped her spoon on the plate in front of him to bring him out of his mental ramblings. She saw his eyes turn from the uncertain, sad pinkish hue, to a quick orange and finally to a bright red. He was getting angry at Time again.

"- with me. I'm fine," he squeaked as his eyes turned back into the green everyone was partial to, "Thank you, Mally."

"You have got to stop getting mad at Time," she reminded him, "It won't do any good, Hatter."

"You are quite right," he agreed and set his tea cup back on its tray before he stood, "If you don't mind too much, my friends, I have a few hats that need the proper stitching. Fairfarren all."

Thackery answered by way of a flying tea cup which Tarrant swiftly avoided and Mallymkun nodded sadly at her friend's back as he made his way into Tugley Wood and to his small cottage home he had rebuilt on the site of the Horunvendush Day. Given, he was still upset over the passing of his clan and many worried that building his home where everything he loved was destroyed would push him further into a raving madness. But in a peculiar twist, the site had calmed him and made him focus on his work. The site also brought him closer to Marmoreal where he was reinstated as the Royal Hatter. He even put his work room window facing the white castle to keep on task.

Mallymkun was gracious that the queen had been keeping the Hatter busy with hat orders, but she didn't know how her friend would do once the reality that Alice may not be coming back at all would finally hit. They all knew about the rabbit hole, but he seemed to be the only one that rejected it. He seemed to believe in her when all others refused. He always had.

Tarrant walked along the lonely path toward his cottage and workshop. He passed by a good amount of flowers and trees and tipped his hat in a short greeting with those who shouted a fond greeting up to him. He thought that he should be in better spirits since the White Queen has been put back on her rightful throne. Everything has changed in Underland. He took a look skyward and gazed at the clouds. It was no longer stuck in that horrid blood red color, but now a fine blue.

"Just like her dress…" he mused and tucked his hands in his pockets to stop them from twitching, "And fine dress it was too. A fine, proper Alice dress. I bet no one could fit the dress better…"

He stopped suddenly as a feeling washed through him, almost like a ripple. It felt like it reached up from the ground, spun through his legs and washed up his body. It turned his eyes a blue-green and then into a deep blue until they came back to his normal bright green. It settled in his chest and turned into a warm, content, non threatening presence. Like one he knew not all that long ago.

He turned his head from side to side as if he was looking for something. He furrowed his brows and titled his head to the side in thought.

"I could have sworn that I heard something," he muttered to himself and frowned in thought, "No, it wasn't a sound. It was something different."

As if they had a mind of their own, his feet turned him south east more toward Marmoreal than his home which was in more of an east-ward direction on his current path. He looked down at his feet as he walked in a quickened pace, "I guess you are telling me that a visit to the queen is in order?"

He looked back up and decided not to argue with his feet. Besides, if anyone knew what that feeling was, Mirana would.

* * *

"It feels like I'm swimming," Alice remarked as soon as she stepped through the mirror. She felt a pressure push back at her as she continued to walk toward where the brighter, Underland version of her room was just moments before. The picture had faded and had turned into a dark chasm, much like the rabbit hole. She set her jaw and continued on. She would not be pushed back into London. If Absolem could do the trip as a butterfly, than she could surely make it as Champion of Underland.

Alice felt a little confused in the fact that she had felt the sunlight of Underland on her fingertips when she pushed her hand through before as if to step directly into the room. She pushed herself forward a few dozen more steps, "The mirror must have shifted. The portal may have moved while I dressed. If that is true, I wonder where in Underland I will end up."

She suddenly felt a stone like texture under her boots and she looked down as if to see the stone, but saw nothing. She felt her foot slip down as if on stairs and decided that it made sense, seeing as she fell down a rabbit hole before. She climbed the stairs only a few moments before she found a rectangle of light ahead of her.

"I do hope that's a way out," she whispered and ran toward it. The light lit the walls around her and it all looked to be a continuing pattern, like a hall of the mirror's shape. Alice didn't seem to tarry on that too long as she stretched for the rectangle of light.

Her hand hit the corner of the frame as she peered out into the world she was about to walk out into. There were mushrooms waist high and vines hanging from the even taller trees. Further out into the distance she could see the crossroad signs where the Jub Jub bird had carried of the Tweedles.

She knew where she was.

She stepped out from the mirror hallway and back into the world she missed so much. She turned back to where she thought she would see a mirror, but saw a dark, shiny piece of rock- almost as if it was polished. She touched the rock and found that it had turned solid and she could faintly see a dark reflection of herself. She looked directly to her side and found the now small stairway that she had used the last time.

"I never noticed how small I actually was," she mused and then took in sight of the door. It seemed strained as if something was packed against it. She reached over and opened the door, which she was surprised was not locked.

'At least from this side,' she said in her mind.

She opened it and as soon as she did so soil and earth poured out onto the stairway. She frowned and remembered the 'developments' that Lady Ascot had done.

"It even reached here," she frowned, "What a shame."

"Indeed it was. Quite a few of us thought that you wouldn't make it back when the hole collapsed."

Alice turned around and saw Absolem fluttering in the air in front of her, "How did you know I would be here?"

"The Oraculum," he said simply, "You didn't follow me directly. The mirror shifts to different places in Underland. If you weren't careful, it could have landed you next to the Outlands. Wouldn't want to meet with the banished Queen and her knave, would you stupid girl?"

"Not at all," Alice shook her head even though she looked harshly at Absolem for calling her a stupid girl once again. She took a quick look back at the door as it tried to close itself against the spilling soil, "I am glad that wasn't the only portal back."

"So are we, dear," a rose called up to her from beside her ankle.

It was then that the reality of everything around her finally fell. She raised her arms and took in the Underland sun on her skin and heard the light chatter of the animals and plants around her. The sky was the brightest blue that she had ever seen and the clouds swirled around each other as if they were cats playing with one another under the sun. Next to her boots a good portion of the flowers were chatting among themselves and joined the rose in greeting their champion.

"Welcome home," a young lily waved her petals up at her.

Alice breathed a sigh of relief.

"Welcome home, indeed, Champion Alice," Absolem landed on her shoulder with a fond smile.

She was finally home from her journeys.


	4. Paths to Take

**Chapter III**: Paths to Take

Alice walked along the path, careful not to walk too quickly in fear of knocking off Absolem. She knew what it felt like to be on someone's shoulder as they walked and she remembered the high winds too. She would smile and nod her head in thanks whenever a flower or animal realized who she was and greeted her in passing.

"I am surprised that no one has come to collect you," Absolem said in her right ear as he had settled between her shoulder and curtain of hair.

"That is strange," she nodded in agreement, "You are never really surprised."

"There is no need to be a smart alec," he made a small snort of disproval from her shoulder before he continued, "Word would be reaching Marmoreal quickly with how talkative the roses and petunias could be."

"I like that no one has come," Alice smiled and took another deep breath of Underland air, "It gives me the choice on where I want to go and a chance to explore where I wasn't able to before."

"You have missed this land, haven't you?" he asked a bit amused how the smallest things brought a larger smile to her face.

"More than you will ever know," she nodded and thought back to the days before her trip to China. Some days she didn't even think she would be able to get out of bed because of the pain. She would walk to get a cup of tea and then trudge back to her room to her bed or to her packing. She didn't know there could be so much pain from missing a place, a world… a hatter.

She paused a little in her thoughts even though her feet kept moving, "Absolem… how long have I been gone?"

"You should know that," he puffed on the hookah still strapped to his back and blew it opposite from her face, "You counted the days you were gone as you told me."

"I meant in Underland time," she sighed and tried to look down at her shoulder.

"Time is truely relative here," Absolem started and took another puff of the hookah, "Some say there is no such thing."

"But you have days and years, I have heard of such being said by many of the inhabitants of Underland."

"And as you have noticed there are only children and adults in this world. We have no elderly- at least not the unhealthy sort. Once we reach the age we are meant to be, we stop aging."

"Hence why the Tweedles are still young boys," Alice nodded in understanding.

"We do not die because of time like you all do in Otherland," Absolem continued glad that she was following, "Time does not rule over us. Queen Mirana does, and she took her vow to never hurt a living thing."

"But the Queen of Hearts had no such vow," Alice reminded him.

"Her crown was usurped," he explained with a growl that didn't seem butterfly like at all, "She never was truly over us. At least not the way that Underland and Time saw it. The ones who died under her rule were always beheaded or fed to her pets. Like the Jabberwock."

"So…" Alice paused before beginning again after the mention of the evil queen, "Even though you mark and name the days, nothing really is timed."

"Unless it is of importance," Absolem nodded glad to almost be rid of the awful talk of past queens, "To the kingdom, like the rule of the Queen of Hearts. Or to a certain person, like someone's eventual return."

Alice thought to herself for a moment. How curious time is in Underland. It is never really passing unless you are waiting for something. And even then, you never age. It seems to be a punishment in itself to wait for something. No wonder the rule of Iracebeth was so hard on the people and creatures of Underland.

"Has anyone timed my return?" Alice asked after her silent thoughts.

"A few," Absolem nodded, "One more so than others."

Alice turned to look down at him and only caught the edge of one of his bright wings, 'One more than the others…'

"So where are your feet leading you?" Absolem smiled as he talked.

"Hopefully somewhere I can find answers and a friend," Alice nodded at the answer she provided. Her feet seemed to know where to go and she didn't want to argue with them. Chessur didn't seem to be anywhere close by and she still didn't know her way around Underland that well. Her feet, on the other hand seemed to know better than herself. She decided to trust her gut feeling and just follow.

She giggled a little to herself when she thought back to a memory of Chessur in one of the nearby trees as she and Absolem entered the Tugley wood.

"What is funny?" Absolem asked.

"Just something that Chessur told me a long time ago," Alice smiled as if she was Chess, "'_If you don't know where you are going, any road will get you there_.'"

"This is true," Absolem nodded.

"Then I will just have to trust that this road that my feet are on is the one I am meant to be on," she smiled and noticed that she was going through some familiar woods. Although… she remembered going a much different way to get to a certain tea party. She looked around to find something more familiar than a similar looking tree, "Where do you think that my feet are taking us?"

Absolem was quiet for a moment and if Alice didn't hear him puffing on his Hookah she would have believed that he had fallen asleep on her shoulder.

"We are too far from the windmill to be crossing paths with the March Hare," Absolem talked more to himself than to Alice, "We may be heading straight to Marmoreal and the White Queen."

"Hmm," Alice nodded and felt a little bit of sadness solidify in her stomach. How sadness as a feeling could solidify she had no idea, but it was there all the same. She touched her stomach and gave a slight frown.

"Hoping you were heading in another direction?" Absolem noticed the slight change in her attitude.

"I guess I was, yes," she mumbled and kept up with her feet. She would have to wait to see Hatter again. She was late as it was, and she did want answers. Hopefully she would be able to see him sooner than much later.

Absolem stayed silent and Alice took that as the end to their conversation. The pair continued through the wood in companionable silence.

In a nearby tree a couple of eyes peered after them and a large grin spread forth from the darkness.

* * *

Queen Mirana looked over her latest batch of upelkuchen and was grateful that she had remembered the right amount of time for the recipe. She then turned to her almost finished vile of pishalver and hummed after she spit into the funnel.

"That should do it," she smiled to herself and politely rubbed at the side of her mouth. She always made more of each since she never knew when an adventure would pop up and they would need it, but today seemed to need a bit more than her usual batch.

"Now, only to wait and see what would develop today," she walked out of the kitchen and toward one of the large balconies that looked over the front of her castle. She looked first through the clouds in the bright sky. Absolem had told her that the Oraculum had foretold of a change in Underland coming soon and she hadn't heard from him in a few days since.

'More than likely making his own preparations for the change, that careful butterfly,' Mirana thought.

She felt a slight tremor from Underland itself earlier in the day and felt that she needed to make more upelkuchen and pishalver than usual. She was always connected to Underland and as such always followed its lead. She sighed and looked at the long, stone road leading from her castle. She did so love surprises, but the waiting was starting to wear on her. She didn't exactly know how to prepare for the change Absolem spoke of, if she didn't know what change it was to be.

"I will just have to have faith in him and Underland," she nodded her head, "They have never steered me in a direction not worth taking."

Her eyes then caught sight of a lone figure walking toward the front steps of the palace. Mirana smiled fondly, "It seems my Royal Hatter has come to pay me a visit. No hat boxes are with him today. How strange."

She turned back to the doorway of the balcony where Bayard has just arrived, "Tarrant Hightopp is here, Mirana."

"So I saw," she nodded, "Let him come up. I believe that we both will need some fresh air. Send up some tea as well, please Bayard."

Bayard bowed his head as he turned and went down to greet the Hatter. The tea was set up in the corner of her balcony near her eyeglass almost as quickly as she had asked for it. She bowed her head in thanks to the frogs that had set the table up.

As she waited for her hatter to appear she looked down into the courtyard where she saw the Bandersnatch still pacing. He had been doing so since the tremor earlier. At the end of each pace he would sniff the air and then continued to pace.

"It's as if he is waiting for something to come to him," she whispered and reminded herself to see if she could talk to the poor beast later to sooth him.

"Aren't we all, your majesty?"

Mirana turned to the doorway where Tarrant Hightopp had his prized hat under his arm and his head bowed in respect.

"How many times must I tell you to call me Mirana?" she gilded over to her trusted friend and tilted his head to meet his eyes, "How are you today, Tarrant?"

"Strange you should ask," he smiled and placed his hat on the nearby tea table, "I was walking to my workshop to work more on your last order- and what an order, your majesty. You and your court have out done yourself on these hats. They will look lovely, just as the sky and a certain blue dress that I was thinking of earlier as I walked-"

"Tarrant, you have lost your point," Mirana said softly to him and motioned to the table for him to sit.

He shook his head, "No, thank you."

"The Hatter not taking tea?" Mirana asked before she took her own seat, "Now this is some news of concern, isn't it?"

"I felt a feeling of some kind on my walk today," he motioned with his hands up his body and then put a hand to his chest, "And it stopped in here."

"How peculiar," Mirana said with a nod and thought that he too must have felt the slight tremor from their beloved land, "Have you felt this feeling before?"

"Only a few times," his eyes turned blue and then to a dark blue as he thought back, "When someone was here."

Mirana smiled sadly and stood back up to place her hands on his shoulders, "She will return to us, Tarrant. She said she would. She promised. And a champion always keeps her promises."

Tarrant nodded as the color of his eyes slowly faded back to their green.

"Maybe a promise that will be upheld fairly shortly," a purr resonated around the balcony.

"First a visit from my Hatter and now by the one being with the best evaporating skills in the land," Mirana smiled and saw Tarrant's hat float from the table. Chessur materialized under the hat with a large grin and looked at the two of them, "What's the subject of this visit, sweet Chessur?"

"The subject at hand, of course," Chess turned upside down with the hat still held on his head. He shifted his eyes to Tarrant, "As I said a promise is to be fulfilled."

"More time has passed for it to be described as shortly," Tarrant said with a pout and watched Chessur closely so he didn't float away with his favorite hat.

"Didn't say that about the whole time," Chessur said and turned right side up and settled around Mirana's shoulders, "I meant from now."

"Chessur?" Mirana asked and shifted the Chesire cat's attention back to her, "Do you know something that we do not?"

"Don't I always, my queen?" he purred with his best smile. He looked over the balcony to the Bandersnatch, "It seems as if the Bandersnatch has caught the smell of something that agrees with it."

Both Mirana and Tarrant looked over the railing to see the Bandersnatch take a long sniff of the air and then howl as it ran down the pathway from Marmoreal.

"I have never known Bander to act in such a way," she mentioned and turned to Tarrant. His eyes were glossed over and focused further down the stone walkway, "Tarrant?"

Her call didn't reach his ears as he gripped the railing harder. He had followed the Bandersnatch's pathway and saw something further down the walkway. His breath seemed to stop as his eyes turned amber and then immediately to a dark blue. He turned quickly from the balcony and ran down the hall to the stairs.

"Where is he going?" she asked with a raised brow.

"To the only thing that would make him leave his precious hat behind," Chessur purred and felt the hat's brim with his paw, "Or should I say the only person?"

Mirana immediately grabbed her eyeglass and peered through to see the Bandersnatch greeting none other than Alice. Her golden hair shone in the Underland sun and the blue dress she wore showed that she was much more a woman than she had been previously. Alice passed her hand through the Bandersnatch's fur with a fond smile and rubbed her forehead against its face. The Bandersnatch licked her in response and she seemed to laugh from the action of the great beast. She walked beside the creature as she continued toward Marmoreal.

"Our champion has returned," Mirana breathed and smiled as she followed Tarrant's pathway toward Alice, though at a much slower and queen like pace.

"Don't mind the messenger," Chess rolled his eyes and then his body. He evaporated from the balcony and reappeared at the palace gates just as an Alice was passing through. He saw her patting Bayard on the head in greeting since the dog had reached her not long after the Bandersnatch, "Did you have enough of Otherworld politics, dear?"

"Very much so," she smiled, removed the hat from his head and quickly kissed in between his ears to stop him from pouting, "Hello, Chess."

"Well, hello Alice," Chessur looked past the gates and toward the stairs where Tarrant was at that point frozen at the sight of her. He looked back at Alice as she too seemed frozen. Chessur looked fondly at the hat in her opposite hand and sighed as he disappeared from sight, "Farewell again, sweet hat."

Alice could see Tarrant as well as feel the elaborate material of the hat in her hand. He was here. He saw her. She saw him. He was still real.

"Hatter… Tarrant," she said to no one in particular.

"I think this is where I need to get off," Absolem said to himself and fluttered off of her shoulder and into the air above the scene.

Chessur appeared beside him in the air and looked down, "Didn't want to be in the middle of the moment, Absolem?"

"Didn't want to be thrown from her shoulder," he contradicted. As soon as Alice felt Absolem float from her shoulder she began to run.

Tarrant saw her take her first running steps toward him and he couldn't hold the feeling in his chest any longer. He smiled with a near crazed chuckle, "Alice."

Tarrant leapt from the first step and down five at a time in his effort to reach her. Each running step that she took toward him, the less the sadness in her stomach seemed to weigh her down. It was disappearing the closer she came to him. Although at the same time she could feel a tear or two roll down her cheek. She remembered a time where she walked quickly up to him when she thought he had been executed. How the roles were now reversed it seemed. He was coming out to greet her, and they were both running to one another.

As they came closer he slowed down so he wouldn't run her over, yet she seemed to only gain speed. When she reached him she jumped into his arms and nearly knocked them both down. He took the momentum from her jump into his arms and turned her around in circles with him, as he hugged her tightly to him laughing loudly. Her legs flew out behind her as he twirled her where their bodies met.

She felt the sadness disappear all together and was magically replaced with a feeling of something lighter than air. She laughed with him as more tears fell down her cheeks. She hugged him tighter around the neck and took in big gulps of air. She smelled his tea and the material of his suit that didn't smell like anything she had ever experienced, even in her travels. Then there was something that was only him, something she smelt strongly when she was only an inch high and in his jacket pocket. She chuckled when he stopped spinning her, but held her close.

"Alice," he whispered, "Dear Alice, do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?"

Alice smiled against him and felt some of the wet tears make their way to his jacket. He pulled her away thinking that his jacket was preventing an answer from her.

"Alice, you are crying," he wiped some of her tears away as he looked cautiously in her eyes. Didn't she want to be here?

"They are tears of joy," she said and held one of the hands that were wiping away her tears, "I'm sorry I'm terribly late for tea yet again."

He chuckled a little and felt her pull his hand against her cheek where she leaned into it. At times like these he assumed that he would start rambling in his madness, but instead he found himself searching for words. Her soft skin pushed against his calloused, worked hands created a calming effect of his mind where he couldn't rave even if he wanted to. He carefully pulled his hand away and tapped her on the nose affectionately, "Naughty."

She smiled up at him with a small giggle and then took his hat which was still in one of her hands and placed it carefully on his head, "There. Now it's where it's supposed to be."

He chuckled with a large smile of his own and hugged her tight to himself again, "I've missed you."

She smiled and hugged him back, "I told you I'd be back."

"And you did remember me. I will never doubt you again," he said and then seemed to remember himself. He stepped back as he cleared his throat, although he kept his hands on her forearms, "Sorry to lose myself in the moment."

"It was quite alright, Tarrant," she said his name so easily. He liked the way she said it, like it was never said to him before her. They both shared an understanding smile. She tilted her head to the side, "How long was I gone?"

"Exactly nine hundred and twelve days plus a brillig," he cited off the top of his head.

"One more than the others," she said to herself where he only lifted a brow at her. She shook her head to shake off his unasked question.

"Welcome home," Mirana said from behind them with a large smile at the scene, "Our Champion has finally returned to Underland."

* * *

A/N: As usual, the italics meant something taken from the books... This will be the last mention of that. I think you all will catch on for later chapters. Just putting my disclaimer now. Enjoy!


	5. Dinner Conversation

**A/N:** Another new chapter for you all! Thank you all so much for reviewing and your words of encouragement. I may not be updating as routinely as I should. I am writing this as I update. Bad habit I thought that I had broken long ago, but I couldn't help myself from putting this up when I did. I hope you all enjoy and keep those reviews coming, if you please. It helps to get myself focused on the fiction at hand. Happy reading!

**Chapter IV**: Dinner Conversation

Alice detached herself, somewhat hesitantly, from Tarrant and curtsied to the white queen, "Your majesty."

"I will have none of that," Mirana glided up to Alice and placed her hand under her chin to make her rise, "You may be Underland's champion, an otherworlder, and to some an outsider…"

Alice frowned a little at the last description of herself.

"But above all you are my friend," Mirana finished with a warm smile, "And as such, you call me by my name. This is all I really ask."

"Then I will respect that request," Alice smiled, "Mirana."

Mirana smiled brightly and in a very unqueenly manner hugged Alice tightly much like Tarrant had. Alice was a bit surprised by the hug, but then hugged the monarch back lightly. Mirana looked her over carefully once she had stepped back. She noticed that Alice seemed older and even more of a young woman than before. It seemed that Tarrant had noticed it was well if his eyes had anything to say about it. Mirana sighed happily and nodded as she turned back to the others around them.

"I believe that it is past Brillig," she looked up to the clouds as if that would answer her statement, "Let us all get washed up and ready for dinner. Tarrant?"

"Yes?" he asked and quickly came up to the two women.

"Will you be joining us tonight?" Mirana looped one of Alice's arms through her own as if they had been doing it for years. Alice felt the familiarity of the action and thought back to how her and her sister would walk with arms looped when they were younger.

"I would be honored," he swooped his hat off his head in a bow and then tilted his head up to lock eyes with Alice, "Will I have the higher honor of sitting with the great Alice?"

Alice laughed at her friend's actions and play curtsied to him, "It would be_ my_ honor, Mr. Hightopp."

"Chessur? Absolem? Will you be there as well?" Mirana called up to the two still floating in the air.

"I believe I have done my duty for the day and would much like a rest. The Otherworld could be so very tiresome," Absolem said in a slow tone and began to fly off toward the Tugley Wood.

"Thank you, Absolem!" Alice called after him with a wave of her free arm.

"I will take the dinner invitation," Chessur evaporated down to the group, curled himself around Alice's neck and then looked at Mirana, "It isn't everyday that you get to dine with a queen and her champion at the royal table."

Tarrant watched Chessur closely as the cat whipped his tail gently against one of Alice's arms. She tickled Chessur under the chin fondly like she had done so with Dinah back in her childhood. Tarrant felt his eyes turn a little red with jealousy. Alice turned back toward him and his eyes immediately turned back to their green color.

"Are you coming?" she asked as Chessur purred on her shoulder.

"Of course," he nodded and walked to Alice's side through the large halls of Marmoreal.

"Here are my chambers should you ever need my assistance," Mirana noted as they passed two large white oak doors on the left side of the hall. She patted Alice's arm and then waved her hand to a large blue tinted door just on the other side of the hall, "And here is where you will stay, if you so chose, Alice."

Alice smiled and let go of Mirana's arm. Chessur stayed a manageable weight on her shoulders as she opened her door. She gasped at the sight of the room. It was much larger and more to it than she remembered, but it was the exact copy of the room that she saw through the mirror. In one corner she noticed a small door to what she assumed to be a wash room. She put her hand over her mouth to cover her gaping expression.

"It's just as I imagined," she smiled and took a step into the room.

Tarrant quickly stepped forward and grabbed Chessur off of her shoulders. He held the cat by the scrap of his neck and narrowed his eyes at him.

"Now, was that really called for, Tarrant?" Chessur drawled and evaporated to float to the side of the Hatter.

"It is not proper for a male- _any male_- to walk into a lady's chamber without invitation," Hatter dusted his hands against one another as if Chessur had dirtied them and frowned at the cat who twirled himself in the air as some of his outlandish accent came through, "Don' be a _guddler's scut_."

"Only if you stop being so jealous," Chessur smiled and then settled on Mirana's shoulders. Mirana overheard their small conversation and giggled into her hand while she gave Tarrant an apologetic glance.

Alice twirled under the later afternoon sun of Underland and laughed as she felt the warmth from before. She saw a large mirror, almost the same size and shape of the one that was probably still sitting in her room in London. She laughed and then turned back to her friends on the other side of the doorway. She walked back to them and stepped back outside of her room.

"Do you stay here too, Tarrant?" she asked and held his hands when she stood in front of him. There went that warm feeling again, this time it spread from where their hands met.

He seemed a bit muddled for words for a moment before he caught himself, "I have a room and workshop here, yes. It's in another wing."

"I would love to see you work on your hats again," Alice's eyes shown in her excitement.

"Tarrant has worked on many since your last visit," Mirana added, "Although he has kept his hat making in his cottage not too far from the palace grounds."

"I feel more focused there," he admitted as if he needed to defend himself.

"Then I will come and visit your cottage," Alice said with a nod of her head, "I would love to see where you live."

"I would like that," Tarrant smiled fondly.

"Well, everyone wash up," Mirana said in a light tone, "I am not as forgiving as hatters for champions to be late. Especially for dinner."

"Yes, Mirana," Alice nodded her head and looked at Tarrant for a few moments as if trying to decide something. She didn't quite know how to say goodbye to him since she just found him and Underland again and really didn't want to if at all possible. She settled for another squeeze of his hands, "I will see you in a few moments."

"Yes, you will," he squeezed her hands back, "Please don't disappear."

"I promise I won't," she shook her head and went back into her new rooms.

Tarrant looked at the closed door for a moment or two before he looked to his side where Mirana and Chessur still watched him.

"Don't look so down, Tarrant," Chessur floated to him, "She's back and from the look of it she won't be leaving for quite a while. The least of all, she won't be leaving you."

Tarrant opened his mouth to say something back to Chessur when the cat evaporated with a remark along the lines of getting ready and Tarrant found himself in front of the queen. He closed his mouth and looked a little lost.

Mirana chuckled warmly and fixed his bow tie a little before she patted him on the shoulder, "Go get ready, my friend. She's expecting you to sit beside her."

"Yes, she is," he nodded and then stopped himself before he got too far. He turned back to her before she went into her own quarters, "Mirana?"

"Yes?"

"I know she had Absolem's help, and fine help that was since it got her back, rightfully back and in the right, proper Alice-" he stopped himself from rambling once he saw her expression, "-size. I'm fine. It's just… how did she get back if the rabbit hole is destroyed?"

"I do not know," she shook her head, "but we must make a point to ask her at dinner."

He nodded his head in acceptance of the answer and walked toward the separate wing of rooms for the male court members.

* * *

Alice wiped her face of the extra water from the basin in her wash room and walked carefully into her room. She felt like it was too much like a dream, but knew not to make that same mistake again. Underland was real, and it was home. She put the small towel back in the wash room and smoothed out her dress for dinner with her friends. The sun shone through the window that she had seen Absolem fly through in the reflection and across from it was a balcony. She didn't see that in the reflection, but upon entering and actually looking around the room, she noticed that the mirror had only shown her a small portion of the room she now had.

Alice opened the large doors to the balcony and looked over the courtyard and mountains that surrounded Marmoreal. Waterfalls fell from great heights and she saw the Bandersnatch sun bathing and rolling in the lush grass around what looked to be a new stable for him. Alice leaned on her railing and watched the great beast act more like a dog than anything else. She then noticed a few speckles around the beast and noticed that Bayard and Bielle's older looking puppies were rolling around in the grass with him. The Bandersnatch was careful not to roll on them from the look of it.

"It's so good to be back," she whispered. She heard a knock at her door and wondered if she had spent too much time in her new room. The door swung open easily even though it looked heavy and there stood Tarrant with his hat under one arm and an infectious smile on his face.

"Hello Hatter," Alice smiled back.

"Do you have any idea why a raven is like a writing desk?" he asked in a chipper mood. She had found that this was one of his favorite ways to say hello.

"You know I asked many people that same question on my travels to China and back," she answered and took one of his hands and pulled him into her room. She walked him back to her balcony and leaned back on the railing as he stood by her side like they had done on the eve of Frabjous Day.

"And did you find any answers?" he asked and ran his hands nervously on the rim of his hat, but with a bit of excitement running through his eyes along with a flash of bronze.

"It depended on who you asked," she turned and leaned backward on the railing. She gave him a warm smile and he visibly relaxed. She giggled, "I once asked a wise man that I worked for and he said that it was possibly because they both had legs."

"Too easy and rational of an answer," Tarrant waved his hand in the air as if to shoo away the idea. He then began to lean on the railing as well, but faced her instead of backwards.

"I once asked a scribe while in China and they said they supposed that it was that they both have writing quills," she waved her hand in the air as if she could write the words in front of them.

"Too scribe like," Tarrant rolled his large eyes and looked deep her eyes, "Why do you think it is, Alice?"

"Me?" she pointed to her face and he nodded, "Well, my dear Hatter, I fear I have absolutely no idea."

He smiled at her answer and carefully placed his hat on her head. She was a bit surprised at the action since no one got to wear his hat with his permission, only ride it. He patted it down a little as it slipped to her eyebrows.

"Now you are thinking like a Hightopp," he said proudly.

"Best compliment I have ever received," she ran a finger over the rim of the hat and looked up to see his eyes turn an emerald green with a bit of orange flakes. She smirked at his focused expression, "I wish that my eyes could do that."

"I don't," he shook his head and looked over his shoulder at the scenery from her balcony.

"Why not?" she asked.

"Because you wouldn't be Alice without the eyes you have," he said simply, "And they are the right proper Alice eyes. I think the only ones you should have. They are quite suited to you. Very beautiful."

Alice blushed a little under his hat and pulled on one of her long curls, "Thank you."

"You are quite welcome," he hopped up to stand straight and held out his arm for her, "We should be sitting for dinner soon. Shall I escort you?"

She immediately took his arm and looked up at him from under his large hat, "Please do."

They left her room and walked down the halls toward the dining room. Alice hoped that Tarrant knew his way since she had no idea where they were going.

"How is Hare and Mallymkun?" she asked to pass the time.

"They are still on tea time, as am I," he explained, "Though I have more time for hat making as well. I sent word to them that you were back and at Marmoreal. Knowing them, they should be here by the morning."

"I have missed them too," she smiled and squeezed his arm a little, "Even Mallymkun stabbing me in the foot and Hare's flying teapots."

"Thackery does have a very good arm," Tarrant nodded with a smirk.

They arrived at the dining hall doors and they opened immediately as if they knew they were there. At the side of the door stood Nivens McTwisp who smiled up at Alice as a welcome back. He noticed the addition to her head and looked at Tarrant with a quirked eyebrow. Tarrant didn't find anything wrong and nodded at him to go on.

Nivens cleared his throat, "Presenting Alice, Champion of Underland and Tarrant Hightopp the Royal Hatter."

Mirana was already seated at the end of the table with Chessur at her side. They both looked up and Chessur almost looked crestfallen at the sight of the hat while Mirana looked more than pleased. Chessur was about to comment on the hat when Mirana put a hand over his mouth and shook her head in his direction. She smiled up at her two friends, "Come in my friends. Sorry for the introductions, but it does make Nivens feel so very needed. Chessur has already arrived and so has our food."

"Was I still late then?" Alice asked as Tarrant pulled out a chair for her next to Mirana.

"The food appears when the last guest does," Chessur purred and looked up at Alice from across the table, "You are right on time for once."

Tarrant sat himself next to Alice, "You should never really be right on time. He does get a bit temperamental when you sit on him."

Both Mirana and Alice giggled a little at that and the table began to eat. The queen had a salad of some sort in front of her with purple leaves instead of green. Chessur had a bowl of what looked like crème and a cup of tea to the side. Tarrant and Alice both had a plate of what looked like fruit, vegetable and some kind of scone. Seeing as the queen had to keep to her vows, Alice didn't think there would be much if any meat at the table. Alice looked down the table to try and find Nivens, but he had already exited the hall.

"Is McTwisp going to join us?" Alice asked.

"He ate earlier," Mirana sighed, "He always has a place to be. The busiest rabbit I have ever known."

"He always has had that trait about him," Alice nodded and took a bite of what looked like fruit.

The small group carried on in good conversation and laughter throughout the meal. Mirana never felt more relaxed at the table and Chessur never felt more regal. Tarrant was just overjoyed in the fact that Alice was back in Underland and Alice finally felt like she was somewhere she belonged. She didn't feel pressured to remember her manners or talk of only items that women should. She talked about her work with the company, her trip to China and the culture she found there, her family and the 'developments' that only seemed to slow down progression.

"So," Mirana sighed happily after another fit of laughter, "How long are you to be staying with us, Alice?"

Alice paused for a moment and then looked to her side at Tarrant who was looking intently at his tea cup. His eyes held a mixture of pink and amber colors as he waited her answer. She took a deep breath and turned back to Mirana.

"I feel as if I have fulfilled my part in the Otherworld," Alice said simply and took a sip of her tea. She put the cup back down on its saucer, "If you all would have me, I would love to take my place here in Underland for as long as forever can last."

Tarrant's head popped up and looked at Alice's profile.

She was staying… she wanted to stay forever.

He could futterwacken until his legs gave out.

"And what of your mother and sister?" Mirana asked and took a sip of her tea to cover her smile from Tarrant's expression. She had never seen his eyes so blue.

"They have their own lives to worry on and I believe that they will understand one day," Alice nodded and looked at the ceiling as if to think it over, "I feel so at peace and understood here. I will miss them, truly. But I believe my home is here. It always has been."

Tarrant smiled wide when she turned her eyes to him. His bright green eyes swirled with dark blue and hints of purple and orange.

"I think it is a mad, wonderful idea," he whispered to her and she smiled warmly.

"I tend to agree," Mirana nodded, "You will stay in Underland as long as you like. If it comes to forever, then so be it."

"I am curious," Chessur ventured as the table became a bit quiet in their meal.

"You know what they say about curiosity and cats, Chess," Tarrant warned him and grinned before he took a bite of his meal, a little too preoccupied in happiness to care about Chessur's moods.

"Just how did you manage your way back to us without the rabbit hole, my dear?" Chessur continued as if he didn't hear Tarrant.

"Through a large looking glass," Alice said nonchalantly, "It was given to me as an early birthday gift… and almost unbirthday gift it would seem."

She took a look to her right were Hatter smiled proudly.

"Your memory is improving," he chuckled.

"It would seem so."

"It's been years since anyone has used a looking glass to pass through worlds," Mirana mused after she politely swallowed her salad, "Have you ever heard of it?"

"I think I've done it before," Alice said and thought hard back to the day she was playing with Dinah's kittens. Memories of that day seemed a bit more faded than her memories on her first trip to Underland. Then there were flashes of her climbing through the looking glass in her home as if it wasn't even there, '_Let's pretend the glass has got all soft like gauze, so that we can get through…_'

"I am fairly sure I have…"

Mirana's eyebrows furrowed and she sighed. She put her silverware down and patted her mouth with a napkin, "I think that I am in need of the library."

"Was it something I said?" Alice asked up to the queen in a little bit of a worry.

"It was, but not in a bad way," Mirana patted the back of her hand, "It sparked a memory that my mother would tell me. Do continue without me, my friends."

She glided out of the room and down the hall to make use of the library and left Alice quite confused.

"So Alice, tell me," Tarrant started to break through the silence that had settled and looked at his hat still on her head, "What is the main mode of transportation in Otherworld. I would think that it wouldn't be by any more comfortable than by hat, would it?"


	6. Research

**Chapter V**: Research

Mirana sat in among her rows of parchments and books that contained small and more insignificant titles and histories of Underland. She sighed as she closed another book and pushed it off to the side. She bit her bottom lip a little nervously and shifted her eyes to the rolls of parchment. She unraveled a few before she rolled them back up and set them to the side as well.

"Where could she have hidden them?" Mirana furrowed her brows in worry and hoped that Iracebeth didn't burn all of their mother's collection.

"Your majesty?" a small voice accompanied a voice from the doorway.

"Yes, I am still here," Mirana called out to the door and a small, white face peeked around the door, "Your guests are leaving the table, my lady. They wished you a good night in the chance they not see you until the morning."

"That was very kind of them," she smiled at her friends' thoughtfulness, "You will have to thank them later for me, Nivens."

The white rabbit hopped into the library, but made sure to close the door softly. He noticed that the queen's focus seemed to gather elsewhere other than her dinner guests, "Are you looking for anything in particular, my queen?"

No matter how many times she has told him to call her by her given name, Nivens McTwisp never could bring himself to call his queen by anything less than her titles.

"Yes, some parchments and a book that my mother had treasured," Mirana stood quickly and went back to the stacks to see if she had overlooked something. Her hands raised to her sides as she looked, "Mother loved them so; I doubt that she would have taken the risk of Iracebeth getting a hold of them."

"Do you remember what they looked like?" Nivens looked in another section of the shelves to help his monarch, "Or what they were called?"

"I remember that the book looked a lot like my lesson books. And the parchments were all aged," Mirana recalled, "The book was on the history of the monarchs- my family. You reviewed that one, if I remember, in your training to be a page of the court."

"'The History of the Royals' and the Scrolls of Belief," Nivens recited, immediately stopped looking in the shelves and turned to the large marble fireplace on the opposite wall. Mirana watched him hop to the front of the right pillar and kicked his left foot against it in a pattern of knocks. The pillar shifted and a middle section grew out and spit out two old looking parchments and a book with white and red trimming. Nivens looked up at the pillar, "Thank you."

"My pleasure," the pillar replied though it had no mouth and turned back against the fireplace.

"Secret places," Mirana said with a smirk at her page's ingeniousness.

"For secret and important things," he laid the articles on the only empty desk left, "I had once asked Absolem to let me keep the Oraculum in safe keeping as well, but he told me that what was to be, will be and left it at that."

"He is often like that," Mirana nodded and opened the book, "I think that he feels that it is his entitlement to keep the Oraculum close as its keeper."

She wiped the small bit of dust from the pages and looked over the family tree of the royals. She traced one finger over the pathway from the first monarchs to their off spring. She lingered affectionately over her mother and father and then noticed a line being drawn down from her aunt to a picture of a pawn piece- a white pawn on top of that. She furrowed her brows in thought and then turned the page. She read over the handwritten passages and noticed the new scribbling from Nivens himself about the throne being restored to Mirana of Marmoreal. She frowned a little and turned the page back and then to a page forward.

"Something missing, your highness?" Nivens worried his paws as she looked over the book. He was so anxious that he had forgotten to include something in the book.

"Something from before now," she smiled and tried to reassure him that he had not missed anything, "Something that was passed on by tongue, but possibly not by ink."

"What about the parchments?" he unrolled one and than the other, "The Scrolls of Belief."

Mirana studied them and saw the ink dance on the page much like the Oraculum did with its illustrations of the days. She looked intently at the stories depicted on the scrolls and then focused on one at the end.

"What are these?" Nivens looked over her shoulder, "I understood that they were meant to be saved, but I did not know of their real purpose."

"They are parables," Mirana said and laid her hand over a moving illustration of a small pawn moving across a chess board. It crossed over brooks by a train and by way of a knight. Then at the end it settled on the other side of the board where it turned into a queen piece. Mirana tilted her head and toward the beginning of the fable she noticed another small illustration. There, where the pawn makes its introduction to the board was a square unlike the others. Mirana concentrated on the square and noticed that it wasn't a square at all, but a mirror where the pawn appeared from. She looked away and to the book where she flipped open the pages and tried to find the right passages.

"Your majesty?"

"They may just be more than little fables, my dear friend," Mirana said in a serious tone, "I think a change of plan is in order. Please gather Alice and Tarrant to me. And if you could summon Absolem, it would be greatly appreciated."

"Yes, my lady," Nivens bowed and scampered out of the room quickly to find all those who the queen asked for.

"Someone's destiny doesn't seem quite over, does it?" Chessur appeared behind the queen and looked over her shoulder at the parchment, "You weren't hoping to keep me out of all the fun, were you?"

"Of course not, Chessur," Mirana looked at him from over her shoulder, "You just can't hide that grin from me even when the rest of you is invisible."

"Silly me."

"Will you keep me company until the others arrive, then?" she asked and took a seat at the desk.

"If you wish it of me," he nodded and settled on the desk's ledge.

* * *

As soon as Chessur had disappeared from the dining table not too long after Mirana left for the library, Alice and Tarrant sat and discussed a few important matters. Such as the not-quite-as-comfortable-as-hat transportation in China and London and words that began with the letter r, which inevitability led back to the wise question of why a raven was like a writing desk.

Alice laughed along with her friend and took a deep breath, "I feel so stuffed that I think I should never want to eat again."

"We can't have that, for all Alices must eat," Tarrant stood up from his chair and gestured to help Alice from hers, "Would you like me to show you around the palace grounds? Maybe a walk will enable you to eat the next day."

"I should like that very much," she nodded and took his arm after placing her napkin over her disappearing plate. She looped one arm around his and then placed her opposite hand on his forearm, "So where are you escorting me tonight?"

"I was thinking of walking by the royal fountains and then the eternal blossoms," he said quite clearly and almost normally sane- until, "… what would be a blossom if it wasn't a blossom at all, I wonder?"

"I would assume a branch or a bud," Alice answered, "Unless the not blossom you talk of is not a plant than I would assume a rock or even a cloud."

Tarrant stopped in his steps and suddenly looked down at her, "It seems as though you've had more practice in the impossible, dear Alice."

"Indeed I have," she nodded with a proud look on her face.

He smiled brightly and took off to step again, "That is wonderful news. I wouldn't want to introduce you again to all the said impossibilities of Underland."

"I wouldn't mind it," she whispered as he led her to the edge of a hallway and out to a magnificent view of the waterfalls, "I would actually love to hear of all the impossibilities. Discover them in this world as I tend to have long absences."

"That would be a long story to learn of them all," he warned her.

"What should that matter when I now have all the time in the world to spare," she giggled and he laughed with her.

"Don't talk of killing time too much, he may stop on you as well," he tapped her nose and continued past the last waterfall and through an archway made of dark, yet beautiful branches.

"I will have to watch my tongue then," she paused, "What do you like to be called?"

"Pardon?" Tarrant asked a little confused by the question.

"Well, many of the others call you by your given name around here, yet others call you by your profession," Alice explained, "I want to know what you are preferred to be called."

Tarrant actually thought about the question and turned toward her, "Alice, you may call me by whatever name you like."

"I could, but I like would like to call you by what _you_ like," she said as if she was exasperated.

He thought on it again and knew that whatever she wanted to call him he would answer to. He then thought back to the few times she had used his given name and the warmth in his chest grew, "I am partial to the name of Tarrant."

"Then Tarrant it is," she nodded as if that was the decision.

Tarrant laughed again and then looked forward into the new path that they had stumbled on. Alice followed his gaze and saw the many white blossomed trees around them. As the blossoms fell from the trees the petals changed all colors imaginable. The falling petals reminded her so much of his changing moods. Alice gasped at the sight and felt as if rainbows were falling all around her. She walked forward and stood in the middle of the falling petals. She looked around her feet and found that the petals that touched the ground would float back up to their branches and would become a beautiful white flower once again.

"Do you like them?" Tarrant asked as he came up next to Alice, "It is the most colorful place in all of Marmoreal. The petals seem to be the only things to object to white once they are free from the tree."

"They are wonderful," she looked at the colorful petals swirl around them both and the different colors that floated by his ever changing eyes. She watched the sight for a moment and thought to herself, 'Number two, Alice… rainbows fall from trees of white petals.'

"Wha' are ye thinking of?" he asked and she noticed that his accent slipped out a little in a hushed whisper.

"My list of impossible things," she answered truthfully and stepped closer to him to look at the colors in his eyes.

"Wha' number ye on?" he focused on her and felt that comfortable warm feeling return and take over his chest where his heart suddenly pounded against his rib cage. He knew that his outlandish side was seeping through, but odd enough, Alice never turned away from that side of him.

"Only two," she said quietly.

"Ye need four more."

"I have until breakfast," she reminded him. She thought that his green eyes would reappear, but all she saw was a calm blue laced with a deeper blue and flakes of purple. She could feel that lighter than air feeling fill her stomach again, "What are you thinking of to turn your eyes that color?"

"Wha' color?" he asked almost as if he was thinking on something totally different and his eyes drop from hers to her lips.

"That blue… the dark blue and purple. I've never seen it before," she was a bit mesmerized by it.

"They're purple?" he asked. He couldn't find his mind long enough to answer any more questions as it was filled with Alice thoughts- Alice thoughts that included her in his hat which was still perched on her head. He thought that the hat suited her well; he must remind himself to make one like it for her now that she was staying. Just a little smaller and a slight stitch on the left. Without his bidding his body leaned toward her. She nodded at him even though she had forgotten her original question. Her body reacted with his and leaned toward him further.

"There you two are!"

The two of them jumped and blinked themselves out of whatever reverie they were in. Tarrant's eyes returned to their bright green and Alice suddenly had a slight red tint to her cheeks.

Nivens ran through the petals and straight to the two of them, "The queen has requested your audience in the library."

"Did she find what she was looking for?" Alice asked.

"I think in a way, she might have," he nodded and turned back toward the castle, "Now come along. We don't want to be late."

"Of course not," Alice mumbled and looked over her shoulder to Tarrant who still had his eyes on her, though they were a dark emerald, "Are you going to escort me back to the castle, Mr. Hightopp?"

She held out her arm and he took it without hesitation, "Of course, Champion Alice."

As they walked back in comfortable, yet contemplative silence Alice thought over his different shades. He wore his feelings out on his sleeve as it were and she never really knew what the colors meant.

"Tarrant?" she asked hesitantly.

He turned his head toward her quickly. He was still becoming familiar with her use of his first name and paid close attention when she did, if only to hear her say it again, "Yes?"

"Will you tell me what your colors mean?" Alice asked a little embarrassed, unsure if it was too personal of a question.

"My colors?"

"Yes, the colors of your eyes. I would like to know what the colors mean, if you don't mind."

Tarrant thought the question over in his head and finally nodded after a moment, "If you ask about them. Any color you ask, Alice."

"Thank you," she hugged his arm and they began to catch up to Nivens ahead of them.

"Anything for you," Tarrant said in such a soft whisper that Alice almost thought that she had imagined it.

* * *

"Alice, Tarrant, I am glad that Nivens found you. I was so sure that you would be settling in for the night," Mirana greeted the pair as they came into the large library. She came out from behind a small stack of books she was placing back on the shelves. She noticed that Alice still wore Tarrant's hat and made a mental note that it was the longest that she had seen it off of his own head. Mirana took Alice's arm from Tarrant's and led her to a desk where Chessur was floating lazily above, "I have something to show you."

"Was it what you were looking for?" Alice asked as they looked over a large scroll, close in size to that of the Oraculum and a red and white bound book.

"I think that and a little more," Mirana nodded her head and let go of Alice's arm as she shifted to the other side of the small desk. Tarrant came up next to Alice and looked down at the scroll in front of them.

"I thought that these had burned during the rule of the _Bluddy Behg Hid_," he said with a flicker of orange running through the green in his eyes. Alice noticed the change in his voice and color and put a hand over one of his to calm him. He closed his eyes and they changed back into the bright green she was used to. He smiled gratefully at her, "-Scrolls. I'm fine."

"I had feared so as well, but had not thought to look for them until now," Mirana said in a soft voice and ran a finger over some of the writing and pictures on the pages.

"They were hidden away for a better time to appear," Chessure drawled and looked at Niven who stood a little off to the side. He smiled his trademark smirk as his eyes narrowed on the white rabbit, "Right on time, it would seem."

"What are they?" Alice asked and watched as Mirana ran her hand over a moving picture of a white pawn crossing a chessboard patterned land. What felt like a memory flared in Alice's mind and she struggled to gather it completely, only able to grasp a few statements.

'_You could be the White Queen's Pawn, if you like, as Lily's too young to play…'_ a regal voice said in a fond tone in Alice's mind, '_…when you get to the Eighth Square, you will become queen.'_

"Alice?" Tarrant shook her shoulder carefully and she snapped back her attention to Mirana and the scroll in front of her.

Mirana watched her carefully, "Did you remember something Alice?"

"Maybe…" she blinked a few times, pointed to the moving picture of the pawn and looked at Mirana, "What are these?"

"These are the Scrolls of Belief," Mirana explained and rounded the table to the side that Alice and Tarrant were on to settle next to Alice, "Most describe them as parables, or folk stories. Others say that they are stories of our past that we must believe though it would be mad to do so."

"But all in Underland are mad," Alice said as if that explained it all, "Some more than others, but mad none the less."

"So in logic, they should be believed by all and thus make them fact," Mirana clarified and pointed to the pawn piece once more, "And that is a story that my mother told to me just before she died but after I was crowned."

"What is it about?" Alice grew interested.

"It is about a pawn that came through a looking glass and became queen…" Mirana paused and watched as Alice's eyes closed and face twisted as another memory surfaced.

'_Well, this is Grand!'_ Alice heard her much younger voice ring through her memories while a vision of a large golden crown was heavy between her two small hands, '_I never expected that I should be a queen so soon-'_

"It's your story isn't it, Alice?" Mirana asked as Alice's eyes grew larger with the new memory. Alice turned to Mirana with a question in her big, brown eyes.

"My story?" Alice asked in a voice she almost didn't recognize as her own since it was so soft.

"Mirana?" Tarrant asked and put a soft hand on Alice's shoulder, "What are you saying?"

"She's telling Alice that she is the rightful heir to the red queen's kingdom as she captured her in the game when she was but a child," Absolem said as he suddenly appeared on Alice's shoulder and then fluttered to land on the scroll in front of them, "I told you that you had a world of your own."

"I buried away the memories, much like I had done with the memories from my first visit. I was here twice over before I slayed the Jabberwock, wasn't I?" Alice asked.

"I believe you were indeed, my friend," Mirana nodded with a soft smile.

"On your second visit you were crowned by Underland itself as Queen Alice. It's time to take your crown again, your majesty," Absolem smiled up at her. His smiled faltered as he turned to Tarrant, "Please tell her to take a breath, dear boy. I think that she may faint if she doesn't."


	7. History Revisited

**Chapter VI**: History Revisited

"Alice!" Tarrant patted her on the back frantically trying to get her to take a breath. When that didn't work he turned her face toward his and looked in her eyes, "Dear Alice, take a breath for me."

Suddenly she inhaled quickly and coughed as if coming up from underwater, "I'm a queen?"

"Yes, my dear," Absolem nodded and looked up at Mirana, "I did tell you that change was coming, did I not?"

"You did," Mirana nodded and rubbed Alice on the back much like a mother would have, "Do you need a seat?"

"Very much so," Alice's legs decided to crumble from under her and Tarrant was quick to catch her under her arms before she fell unceremoniously to the ground. She looked up at him from over her shoulder, "Thank you."

"You're very welcome," he nodded and Nivens scooted over one of the arm chairs from the side of the room. Tarrant placed her in the chair carefully and she relaxed a little.

"You said that I am now heir to the red queen's kingdom?" Alice asked and pointed to Mirana while she talked with Absolem, "But Mirana had taken over for her sister as it was her kingdom to begin with."

"It is rude to point, girl," Absolem frowned and Alice dropped her arm as if she was just scolded by her mother, "Mirana should have had her sister's position, yes. But she was not the true red queen- though many have called her as such."

"What?" Alice furrowed her brows.

"Here," Mirana opened the book to the front cover where a page outlined the pathway of the royals, "This is my family tree. It may explain a few things."

Alice and Tarrant looked over the book as Absolem landed at the top of the page. The butterfly pointed one of his legs at the top two pictures of a queen and a king. They reminded Alice of what she imagined King Arthur and his Queen Guinevere would have looked like.

"This is the first ruling monarchs of Underland. The White King Ethael and Queen Emirah, the first Queen of Hearts," Absolem explained and puffed a little on his hookah, "They in turn had three children. Three daughters."

Absolem moved his arm to the pictures on the next tier of the lay out, "There was a single birth, the Princess of Hearts, Gabriesme of Crims, who later became the next Queen of Hearts. Then there were twins, the White and Red Princesses of the Board, Princess Analissa and Princess Sophanna of Marmoreal- who later became the Queens of the Board, the Queens of Red and White."

Alice looked expectantly at Mirana as if to ask if that was her mother. Mirana only nodded her head as Absolem continued.

"Out of the three sisters, only one was to give birth," Absolem went on and caught Alice's attention again. Absolem slid his arm further down the page to the white queen and her king, "Queen Analissa married Adoamros Armorsmith who became the White King and they had two daughters."

Absolem showed her two more pictures under that of the white king and queen, one of Mirana and the other of Iracebeth.

"Iracebeth was born first, as you know," Mirana explained, "She was very outspoken and cruel even as a child. My parents knew very early on that she was not to be the next heir to take over their part of Underland. She was so harsh and uncaring that my Aunt Sophanna, the red queen, had decided against children of her own, afraid that they would be just like Iracebeth."

Absolem slid his arm over the page and showed that the red queen had married, but the queen of hearts had not. He stopped on the queen of hearts, "Gabriesme, the Queen of Hearts was rendered barren and never had children."

"After Iracebeth was denied the crown from not only our parents, but both of our aunts, she forcefully took over the Heart Kingdom and over threw our Aunt Gabriesme," Mirana explained and thought back to her younger days, "She was fairly young, but she was able to take everything, even all the suitors that had first come to marry our aunt. She married a younger lord just after her takeover of Crims."

"So it was Iracebeth that I remembered from my first visit," Alice nodded.

"My Aunt Gabriesme was beheaded long before you came to Underland," Mirana remembered the day that she heard of her sister's take over and the death of her distant aunt.

"She killed her own aunt?" Alice asked a bit disgusted.

"It gets worse," Chessur said as he floated close and turned upside down in the air, "Go on, Absolem."

"Mirana was crowned the White Queen of Marmoreal days after, despite her young age and her parents stepped down to give her full power over their half of the Board Kingdom. They kept the fact of her having full control of their half secret for years so that Mirana gained experience without fear of assassination by rebel cards from the Heart Kingdom. In that time, Mirana hired many for her own court, including Tarrant Hightopp."

Tarrant smiled at the memory of being employed at court. Alice smiled at his happiness.

"After ten years, the announcement of her full monarchy was made," Absolem looked at Mirana who gave a sad smile, "Showing Underland how she had ruled in the past ten years, also showed her to be a great ruler. Both her parents had hoped that this demonstration would turn Iracebeth into an alliance with her sister seeing the true queen she was."

"It only infuriated her," Tarrant growled and Alice saw his eyes begin to change to orange and then red as shadows crawled around his eyes. She put her hand over the one he had on her chair. He felt her hand and closed his eyes to calm himself.

Mirana looked sympathetically at Tarrant as she knew how hard it was for him, "To celebrate my full rise to power, the Hightopp clan threw a party in my honor as most of them were employed at my court. That was the day that Iracebeth released the Jabberwock."

"Horunvendush Day," Nivens said from his side of the room and shivered, "She took everything that day."

"How did she get the Jabberwock to be her champion?" Alice asked.

"He was always the Heart Kingdom champion," Mirana explained, "But he never agreed with peace and Gabriesme had to lock him away with the Vorpal Sword. She gave the sword to the Board Kingdom to seal the peace between the two since the sword was the only thing that could kill the beast."

"On Horunvendush Day Iracebeth began her conquest of Underland," Absolem looked out the window of the library and puffed slowly on his hookah.

"After that dreadful day my parents and all of the Board Kingdom went into hiding. They hid me away against my wishes and Iracebeth sent out searches looking to find me and more than likely have me executed."

Alice felt Tarrant squeeze the hand that was over his own. She looked up at him and saw the green eyes had returned.

"Not too much longer after that you came to Underland for the first time," Tarrant said glad that he was able to give some information, "Came straight to my tea party, you did. Late as usual though, naughty."

"Even as a child you made such a commotion with Iracebeth and her rule that creatures and inhabitants of Underland began to doubt in her abilities to rule and thus started to create a rebellion against her," Absolem poked his hookah in her direction, "Even as her power grew her own king had doubts about her ability to rule. He conferred with Mirana to see what they could do about Iracebeth's rule. He was found out by the Knave, Ilosovic Stayn, and beheaded by his own wife."

"This is all very enlightening," Alice admitted and then looked at Mirana and then at Absolem, "But what does this have to do with me being a queen?"

"We are getting to that part, do not become impatient," Absolem waved his wings at her.

"According to the story that my mother had told me, it wasn't too long after the beheading of the King of Hearts that you came back the second time," Mirana interrupted Absolem before he could scold Alice again.

"When I came through the Looking glass?"

"Exactly," Mirana nodded, "When you came through, you came to the side of Underland untouched by my sister and where the Board Kingdom was in hiding. This is where you met my mother and her sister."

"The Queens of Red and White," Alice nodded.

"You probably met me as well, but I wasn't the way I was supposed to be," Mirana sighed.

"How's that?" Alice asked.

"To protect me and keep me safe after my risky move to talk to the King of Hearts, my mother and aunt made me drink an elixir that made me no older than a large toddler. I couldn't even speak, even though I was rightfully the queen. They did it to keep me safe, I understand, but to take care of Underland does not mean that you will always be safe."

"You were the baby that the White Queen was always yelling for," Alice remembered the white queen yelling for her baby while they were still the sizes of chess pieces.

"True, though I don't remember much of what was happening around me. Part of the elixir," Mirana nodded, "At that point my mother may have believed that I was that young once more. After Horunvendush Day she and the rest of the court went mad."

"Many of us had gone much madder after that day," Tarrant reminded her.

"Do you remember much of your second trip? Of my mother or my aunt?" Mirana asked Alice.

Alice took a moment and thought back. Many memories were resurfacing much like when she realized that Underland wasn't a dream. She remembered how she walked through the garden and talked with the flowers and then met the red queen.

"After the glass house, I met the red queen first, Queen Sophanna," Alice nodded, "She said that I could be a pawn of the White Queen since Lily was too young to play. Who was Lily?"

"That is the name that Aunt Sophanna always called me," Mirana smiled at a distant memory, "When I would play with her as a child I would take pishalver and hide among the lilies in the gardens. After she had gone mad, that is all that she called me."

Alice smiled, "She sounded like a lovely woman. I wish I had met her before her madness."

"I think you would have loved them both," Mirana nodded.

"I crossed many brooks," Alice nodded and thought about the train, the knight and even the tweedles, "When I first remembered my first trip, I remembered the tweedles, but I know now that I didn't meet them until my second trip here."

"They wouldn't know what was your first or even your fifth trip here," Chessur yawned, "All they know is that you were here before and then came back to slay the Jabberwock."

Alice thought back to the last bit of her journey, "At the end of my second trip I held the red queen in my hands. Then she turned into one of Dinah's kittens. I was back at home… how is that?"

"Magic to preserve herself," Mirana nodded, "She felt threatened so she magicked you back to your side of the mirror, but as far as her kingdom was concerned, it was too late."

"Too late?" Alice asked.

Absolem tapped back on the page of the monarchs and pointed to a picture of a white pawn drawn below that of Queen Sophanna, "I believe that this is you, my dear. You are the next Red Queen."

"But I am not royalty."

"You are now," Chessur grinned.

"She didn't leave her kingdom to me!"

"It didn't matter if she had or not. Underland made you queen without her consent by placing a crown on your head. And once a queen always a queen," Mirana nodded with a smile, "When my mother told me about her adventure with a new queen that was once a pawn she told me that Aunt Sophanna was so impressed with you and the way you quickly made it across the board and won the game that she left her part of the Board Kingdom to you since you were now a queen. You were named her heir since she had no children of her own. Thus, with Iracebeth gone and the Heart kingdom and the Board kingdom is again one, you are heir to half of Underland. Even if you were sent to the other side of the looking glass by her own hand."

Alice felt the breath stop dead in her throat. Tarrant patted her on the back and she remembered to breathe again.

"I thought that it was just a story caused by my mother's madness," Mirana shrugged, "I also wanted to shrug it off as a tale that she was telling her 'baby' girl at bed time."

"How did you get back to normal?" Alice asked once she recovered a little.

"The elixir wore off and was back to myself once more," Mirana smiled sadly, "That was when Iracebeth and her army found us. She took mother, father and Aunt Sophanna and beheaded them all in front of me."

Alice gasped behind her hand. She knew that Iracebeth was cruel, but to behead your own parents.

"I told you that it got worse," Chessur gloated.

"I was then banished to Marmoreal," Mirana finished, "Hoping for one day that my champion would arrive. Who would have guessed that my champion was also to be a queen to rule in alliance with me?"

"Queen… me?" Alice asked herself in a whisper.

Alice stayed in the silence for a few moments and studied the picture of the white pawn under the picture of the red queen. Her eyes then trailed to the moving picture of the white pawn over the chess board and then turning into a queen piece. Could that really be her? She remembered the adventure; she couldn't deny that it had happened. She was remembering every detail as time went on. As she looked up she was face to face with Chessur.

"So what is your first order of business, your highness, Queen Alice?" Chessur asked with his arms folded in front of him.

"First order is for you to treat me as your friend and do not call me Queen Alice," Alice frowned and Chessur grinned and disappeared only to reappear above her head and on top of Tarrant's hat.

"As you wish," he chuckled as Tarrant looked up at him annoyed.

"What does this all mean, Mirana?" Alice asked.

"It means that you have a choice ahead of you," Mirana closed the book in front of Alice and held it to her chest, "Underland has chosen you as queen. But it is your choice, just as it has always been, to take up the throne and become the next Red Queen and rule Underland with alliance with me or to stay just our champion and live a simple life you choose."

"But you are the true Queen!"

"Underland has never steered me wrong before," Mirana placed a gentle hand on one of Alice's cheeks, "I will not doubt its judgment now."

Alice looked a bit lost up at Mirana and the White Queen could see the uncertainty in her friend's eyes.

"I believe that this is a lot of information to take in," Mirana sighed and looked at the others in the room, "I think that we should all retire for the evening and let Alice think some things over."

"I think that may be wise," Absolem nodded and watched carefully as Nivens began to roll up the Scrolls.

"Absolem may I talk with you in my study before you take your leave for the evening?" Mirana asked the butterfly. Absolem nodded and fluttered up to her shoulder where he perched himself. Mirana looked back at Alice, "If you have any questions or come to a decision- either way- you may find me in my chambers. Do not feel as you cannot talk with me. As you have been told, I know what it is like to have a kingdom thrust upon you."

Alice smiled slightly and nodded.

"All right everyone," she smiled and waved to all the others in the room with her free hand not holding the book, "Off to your rooms then. I will see you all in the morning for breakfast. I believe that we have more guests coming."

Mirana glided from the room with Absolem on her shoulder. Alice heard them begin to talk softly as they turned down the hallway. Nivens quickly hid the scrolls again in the fireplace and bowed to Alice before he hopped down the hallway. Chessur watched Alice's reaction to Nivens bow and grinned as he disappeared to one of the garden trees to sleep in for the night.

Alice looked to her side where Tarrant still stood. She looked into his eyes to see what shade they were and saw the normal green with a few flashes of pink and white.

"What are you thinking?" Alice asked.

When he didn't answer her she placed her hands on either side of his face and looked him in the eyes, "I see white and pink flash every so often. What does that mean?"

He took a deep breath, "White… more than likely confused. Just like you are, I imagine."

Alice smiled to tell him that she was.

"And pink," he furrowed his brows as more pink filtered into his eyes, "A bit of fear and uncertainty. If you are queen, you won't have times for silly tea parties anymore with the likes of a Mad Hatter."

"I may not," she shook her head and she saw more pink over come most of the green in his eyes. She quickly hugged him around his neck and whispered into the side of his neck, "But queen or not, I will always have plenty of time for some tea with some of the best company in any world. With a hare with the best throwing arm, and skilled swordsman of a dormouse and the greatest Hatter that ever lived, my best friend."

The pink immediately went away from his eyes and changed to a dark blue as his arms wrapped around her small frame. He closed his eyes as he breathed her in.

"Will you stay with me for a little while longer before bed?" she asked and leaned back, careful not to step out from his arms.

"How ever long you need," he answered and felt her relax in his arms. She carefully took the hat from her head and placed it back on his head.

"Just as it should be," she hugged him again around his middle and closed her eyes against the obstacles that no doubt lay before her.

'Number three, Alice,' she thought to herself and closed her eyes tightly, 'You are queen to half of Underland.'


	8. Nightmares

Chapter VII

: Nightmares

"You needed to speak with me, your majesty?" Absolem asked a settled on the side of the queen's desk.

"Is this what Tarrant and I felt earlier?" Mirana asked as she took her seat behind the desk and looked at Absolem with a quirked eyebrow.

"Underland shifted and welcomed her new ruler when Alice returned, yes," Absolem nodded and puffed on his hookah. He studied the queen as she looked out the tall window to the settling night and the stars chasing one another in the sky. Her look seemed distant and her thoughts miles away from where she sat comfortably. Or maybe not as comfortably as he thought. He tilted his head in question, "You are troubled by Underland's choice?"

"No, not by its choice. I have nothing but faith in our champion as always," she shook her head and stood from her chair to place a hand on the cool glass of the window and stared up at the moon as memories of her own coronation came to mind, "I know what is asked of a queen to be. What will her trial be?"

"The Jabberwock was not trial enough?" Absolem asked and fluttered to the top of the mantel that was to the side of the window.

"We both know that if that was her true trial, she would have worn a crown before she disappeared to the Otherworld," she quickly gestured up to the ceiling with her eyes and frowned in worry for her friend, "I fear that something greater is waiting for our dear Alice."

"She will handle it if she truly wants the crown. Underland never asks more from its rulers than what they can give."

"If that is true than mother would have never had to choose between two daughters."

"Your sister gave her that choice, not Underland," Absolem frowned at his ruler as if she was a pouting child.

Mirana looked to her side to avoid his eyes and glided slightly away from the window, "I just hope she does not have to choose between who she is and who they want her to be."

"Just as you have?"

Mirana stopped immediately and looked back at the wise insect. Her arms fell from their place in the air to the side of her head and to her sides. Her shoulders slumped a little and she took a breath of frustration.

"Indeed… like me," she nodded and walked back to the window in steps much like a regular person and not so much like the airy queen she was meant to be, "And what if she never finds her calling?"

"You heard the call from Underland, so will she if that is what she chooses of her life," Absolem paused before he went on, "As you said before, your majesty, it is still her choice. If she chooses to wear the crown of the red queen, her life will be all that more full of obstacles and hardships... and negative opinions. But we all know that our champion has never been one to walk the easy and slow road."

One side of Mirana's lips tilted up in a half smile, "This is true."

"How long do you suppose she will think on her decision?"

"As long as she sees fit," Mirana nodded her head and lifted her arms in a signal that she wasn't as troubled as she once was and her regal mask slipped back into place, "I will not rush her. It has to be made by her heart and not by necessity."

"She has done so much for us, so many adventures and stories have grown from her visits," Absolem pondered and stared out into the night with the queen, "By the end of this, her stories will become legends."

"They already have."

* * *

Alice felt the beat of the sun on her face and she turned from it as she nuzzled deeper into her soft pillows. She pulled the blanket over her head and closed her eyes tighter together as if it would pull her back into delightful sleep. In her half asleep state, she had almost felt as if something was off. But she was back in Underland and- though there was a good amount of surprises the night before- she was happy to be home. She smiled again as her mind became peaceful once more and she knew it would only be moments until she would be fully immersed in her dreams once again.

Suddenly, the blankets were torn from her and she bolted straight up in bed.

"Good morning, Miss," a smiling Mary looked on her mistress in her bed and tossed the edge of the blankets to the side of the bed to take to the laundry at a later time.

Alice blinked a few times and looked at the young woman in front of her. She then looked around the room. It was her room back in London. She was back in London? What happened to Marmoreal?

"You look confused, Miss," Mary asked and went over to Alice's wardrobe where she opened the doors and began to set out Alice's dressings for the day.

"You couldn't imagine," Alice looked around the room once more and then down at her hands and arms where she could have sworn she had held Tarrant and in turn he held her. There was a pain that stabbed at her heart and her hand formed a fist in reaction to it. Alice turned toward Mary who was still putting dressing out before she reached back and pulled out a large, overly puffy, white dress.

"What is the occasion this time?" Alice asked with a resigned sigh. It was like her mother to plan another ball or surprise party for her. It was officially now her birthday.

Mary began to laugh and giggle a little at Alice's question, "Why your wedding, Miss. The lord from your birthday party just last night is waiting at the altar now. You are to be married by sundown and with child by the end of the night if all goes well. What a birthday surprise your mother made for you."

"What!" Alice screamed and stepped out of her bed about to tell her that she would be doing no such thing. She would also want to know exactly which lord this was to try and take ownership of her in such a way.

As her foot fell from the bed she didn't feel the floor beneath her and she began to fall. Not down, like she would have hoped, but up, back up toward the surface of what looked like a rabbit hole. There at the top she climbed out and wore the large, over puffed white gown and a long veil that covered her face. She noticed a near carbon copy of Hamish at the end of a long aisle lined with guests. She shook her head and brought her hands to either side of her head as if to massage the picture in front of her away.

"This is a nightmare. This isn't happening," Alice chanted and tried to remember the night before where she followed Absolem through the mirror.

"But indeed it is, my sister," Margaret appeared beside her and began to lead her down the aisle toward the boring looking man, "Just think, mother will be so proud. Your silly business trip is done and she didn't think it could help you. Now that it's over, you'll be taken care of, she wouldn't need to worry."

"_I_ worry," Alice said and noticed her throat become dry.

"Come now, Alice," Margaret sighed heavily and pushed Alice toward the altar, "You can't do better than a lord."

Alice's mind swirled and she thought back to Underland and two glowing green eyes that seemed to captivate her. She paused and looked up at her supposed new husband and she shook her head once again. He was too sane, too boring… and not the man for her. She could do better and she had found such.

She turned from him and looked at her sister, "But I can."

"Can what?" Margaret looked so confused.

"Do better," Alice tugged the veil from her head.

"Alice, you will marry him," Margaret turned her sister around as the man leaned forward to kiss her as his new bride.

"This is just a nightmare," Alice turned away and shut her eyes tightly, "Wake up, Alice!"

"This is no dream, Alice," Margaret's voice echoed in her ears, "Life is no dream."

"Alice! Wake up! Wake up, Alice!" Alice screamed, pinched her arm and she felt herself falling once again.

* * *

"Wake up!" Alice screamed and sat up abruptly in bed. She clutched the bed sheets and looked around the wide and amazing room that she was given at Marmoreal. On her right arm, just above the scars from the Bandersnatch, she noticed a nice, red welt where she hard pinched herself hard. She breathed a sigh of relief and then swallowed her fear. It was a nightmare. A vivid and horrible nightmare.

"And to think one Hamish was bad enough," Alice muttered and placed a hand to her forehead. She felt the bead of sweat on her brow and took a deep breath to calm herself. She threw off the sheets, slipped from her bed and looked toward the window. It was barely daybreak. The sunlight hadn't broken over the mountains yet.

She slipped on a pair of soft slippers and pulled on a robe to cover her sleeping garments. She opened her bedroom door and looked up and down the hallway to find no sign of anyone, not even one servant. She closed the door behind herself and followed the same path that she had taken the night before.

Tarrant had walked her to her room only for her to ask where his was. He took her to it to show her just in case she needed him and then escorted her back to her room where she was safe. She counted her steps and noticed the different paintings of Underland landscapes so she wouldn't lose herself in the castle's halls. She came upon a large green door and remembered that it was his since it was the same dark green as his favorite hat.

She knocked politely on the door, unsure if he was actually asleep. It was a good assumption thinking on how early it was.

"And to think, Alice, you are a grown woman. You don't need to see someone to make you feel better after a nightmare," she said to herself and rubbed the arm that she pinched. A pause rang through the hall and her mind and she closed her eyes with a sigh, "No, but I do need to see him."

After the third knock no one answered and she opened the door slightly and peeked in.

"Tarrant?" she whispered and opened the door further when she saw someone sitting in the front room by a long table.

"I'm sorry for coming here so early in the morning, but I-" she stepped inside the room and noticed that the figure wasn't sitting at the table, but was slumped over it asleep. She put a hand to her lips from keeping herself from waking him and whispered softly, "Oh, poor Tarrant."

Tarrant had worked himself to sleep at his own work desk. He had his hat and jacket off. It looked like he placed them to the side of the table and rolled his sleeves up to his elbows. Alice smiled a little amused by her friend's efforts. She noticed the blue and white material that covered the table and the drawings of different styles of hats with a young woman modeling them all. Carefully she leaned over one of his shoulders and peeked at the hat he was working on. It was a smaller version of his own, but a dark blue instead of a dark green and a silver-white sash around its base.

Alice giggled a little and felt her heart swell at the hat. She didn't have to guess that it was for her if the drawing of a girl wearing the sketches of the hat were any indication.

Tarrant grumbled a little and shifted a little in his sleep. She didn't have the heart to wake him, but he would be getting a chill from the morning cold if she didn't do something. Alice looked around herself and found a small blanket at the side of a sitting chair. She carefully covered his shoulders and arms with the blanket and smoothed it over his back.

He looked so peaceful while he slept, one of the places it seemed his madness didn't reach.

"There are tea trays in the sky…" he mumbled and she covered her mouth in effort to not giggle.

'He will always be mad it seems,' she thought to herself and ran a quick yet soft hand through his orange hair, 'I wouldn't have it any other way.'

She leaned over and quickly pecked him on the cheek before she lost her nerve to do so. She blushed at her boldness and quietly, yet quickly made her way back out his door. She would see him later in the day and it would be something that she could look forward to.

Once she closed the door to his chambers she leaned back against it and closed her eyes as the back of her head connected with the hard oak of the door, 'I could do better than a lord. But I could never find a better man than a hatter.'

Inside the room, Tarrant dreamt of he and Alice taking tea among the stars.

* * *

Hatter mumbled a few outlandish curses as he felt the cricks in his neck setting in as he woke up. He rubbed at his eyes and was awake enough to be mindful of the thimble that he still had on his left forefinger. He pushed up from his work table with a grimace. He was going to feel the aches for a few hours to come, but he had worked through them before. His eyes suddenly settled on the smaller, blue version of his own hat.

"The aches and pains will all be worth it," he smiled at himself, "Surely once Alice finds herself with her crown again she won't need this hat, but until then she must be properly hatted."

As he reached for his newest creation he felt something slid off his arms and saw the light blanket fall to the ground behind him. He furrowed his long brows in thought.

"I don't remember getting a blanket in my sleep," he mumbled and then turned his eyes to the ceiling in thought, "Though, I don't remember a great many things. Like the raven and the writing desk and how the great riddle came to be. It must have come from my own mind, yet if it had I would have found an answer by now- maybe one of Alice's aquantinances had the right answer and I was mistaken. I have been mistaken before as well, as I-"

Suddenly his self induced rant was caught off when he heard some delightful sounds coming in from his window. He put Alice's new hat back on the table and put on his own as he passed it. He sat on the railing of his balcony and looked over the back courtyard. There he found the cause of all the beautiful noise. It was Alice and she was laughing.

He watched as she playfully dodged and ran with the Bandersnatch as if it was one of Bayard's young pups. She would playfully tug on its tail, then turn a corner around a topiary and then would be quickly pounced upon by the animated giant. She would laugh louder and in this Tarrant knew that the great beast would not hurt Alice. Of course Alice would be the one to tame one of the wildest beasts that had ever roamed Underland.

He continued his observation of her play with the Bandersnatch for a good five or ten minutes until both she and the beast grew tired of their games. The Bandersnatch laid down in the cool grass of Marmoreal and Alice leaned back against its warm body. She looked up at the sky and seemed to ponder over something quite troubling.

"What could trouble her, I wonder?" Tarrant tapped a finger on his lip as he looked her over in one of the dresses that Mirana had had tailored for her eventual return. It was the same blue as her original dress.

"Probably the same thing that's troubling you, I take it," a small voice said from inside his own room. He turned just in time to have a tea cup sail over his head.

Tarrant's face lit up in an insane smile as he looked over his two best friends, "Mally, Thackery! I was beginning to wonder if you both lost your heads enough to wonder where you had misplaced Marmoreal."

"We never lose enough sense not to be able to find you again, Hatter," Mallymukun explained and leaned on her hatpin sword.

"Aye, and we are about time for tea," Thackery brought out a watch still half full of tea sloshing around the face.

Tarrant stopped to think to himself again, "You know, my friends, I think an overdue tea party is just what we need."

"What are you planning, Hatter?" Mallymkun asked as he passed her toward the doors to his room.

"Not now with specifics, Mally," he waved his hand at her as if to push away her worries, "Too much to plan. And to top it off you have secrets to discover, of which I already know the answer. But we will get to that when we have our tea. Now, to tea my friends."

Meanwhile, outside in one of the many courtyards Alice ponders over many things that include a hatter and herself. All the while her many thoughts are interrupted by a single tea cup that landed perfectly safe in her lap. She smiled a knowing smirk and looked up toward the balcony of a certain hatter.

She turned to the Bandersnatch and petted it under its chin, "I believe I am being called to tea. Some very important guests have arrived. I will see you again soon."

The Bandersnatch licked her cheek loyally and sniffed at her hair before it walked off to find another place to nap. Alice rubbed her cheek to take off the excess drool and then walked toward the palace. It was rather rude to be so late.


	9. Choose A Path

**Chapter VIII**: Choose a Path

"Again!" Tarrant yelled over at his two friends whom were pulling the table cloth tightly over the few random tables they were able to rummage together in an outer courtyard. He held out his hands toward them, "Stop! That seems good. Not great, by any stretch, but it will do for a party of our own."

"Do we have any sets not yet thrown by Thackery?" Mally asked and ducked as a cup flew across the table just over her head.

"I think I may have some," Tarrant nodded and pulled out a roll that looked like a table runner made of some questionable purple coloring. He flipped the material away from him and down the row of tables as if it was a long roll of his hat material. From between the folds of the material popped tea pots, cups, sugar bowls, spoons and saucers. Tarrant smiled, clapped his hands together and rubbed them together as he looked over the spread of the table. He sat at the head of the table and saw Mally take her spot next to her tea pot and Thackery settled on one of the seats toward the end.

Tarrant chuckled at the picture and picked up a teapot to make sure that it was one that had tea in it, "Wonderful. Now, all we need is one more guest."

"I do hope that they get here soon. It's rather rude to be late, you know?"

Tarrant frowned in confusion and then turned to his right where Alice sat in one of the chairs with a smile on her face and a tea cup in her grasp. Tarrant's eyes lit up in a bright green with dark blue swirling quickly toward the iris.

"_Which form of proverb do you prefer: Better Late than Never, or Better never than late_?" Tarrant asked and settled back against his seat and served Alice her tea in the cup she had brought to the table.

"Why is a raven like a writing desk?" she countered, "I do believe that it depends on the late comer on wither to be late or to never be."

"Well said," Mally said and leaned against her tea pot and stuck the table cloth with her hat pin sword.

"Good afternoon, Mallymkun," Alice smiled in greeting and set her tea down on an empty saucer.

"After noon," she nodded back and put her sword back on her belt. She walked across the table cloth to stand in front of Alice, "Are you the right Alice by chance?"

"Of course she is," Tarrant said in full confidence as Alice beamed next to him.

"And how do we know for sure?" Mallymkun scratched under her chin in thought and tried very hard to ignore the black and gray colors swirling in Tarrant's eyes.

"I still have a scar from the Bandersnatch," she pulled the sleeve of her dress up to better show the three scars and then put one of her slipper covered feet on the table and wiggled the end of it, "And another scar where you so selflessly tried to prick me to wake me up from my supposed nightmare."

"All right," Mally nodded in acceptance. She then paused and looked at Tarrant who had a better color in his eyes. She glanced back at Alice, "It took you long enough to get back. We've missed you."

"I've missed you all, too," Alice admitted and watched Mally climb into her tea pot. Mally turned slightly and laid across the rim of the teapot as if she was settling into a hammock. Alice then turned her attention down the table to Thackery who was pretending to pay deep attention to a spoon while listening in on the conversation, "Good afternoon to you, too, Thackery."

"Mornin' lass," he said cheerfully and placed one of the larger teapots on his head as if a hat.

"Come now, Thackery," Tarrant frowned at his friend's head and the poor suffering teapot, "If you need a new hat I will more than happy to make one for you."

"Spoon," Thackery muttered and looked at the shiny utensil.

Tarrant sighed and looked at Alice, "Did you sleep well, Alice?"

"For a bit, yes. The bed is very soft and molds perfectly to the person's form. I did have a nightmare," she admitted and smiled before Tarrant could worry too much, "But it's all better now. I woke up, you see."

"Indeed," he nodded and sipped on his tea cup. His eyes suddenly grew a little larger and turned a shade of red that didn't look as dangerous as other shades Alice has seen. He patted Alice's hand that was setting on the table top, "I have something that will completely take away the nightmare from your mind."

"Do you?" Alice asked with a bright smile and watched as he leaned over the opposite side of his chair from her and seemed to be rummaging in something to the side of it. Alice tilted her head a little to try and see, but he was bent in such a way she couldn't see- as if she didn't have an idea of what it could be already, "And what magic do you have hidden by your chair?"

"Close your eyes," he asked and looked back at her over his own shoulder.

She sighed and closed her eyes immediately. He pulled out the new hat he had been working all night on and settled it on her head. He tilted it a few times before she opened her eyes which made her giggle in his efforts. He leaned away to look at the full picture and nodded as he pulled a large mirror as if from nowhere.

"All right, Alice," he nodded, "You can see."

Alice opened her eyes and her mouth dropped a little from the picture of herself in the mirror. It was the hat that she had seen earlier while she draped a blanket over his shoulders, but he had put a little more work into it. She touched the brim and understood how much planning he must have had done for it and how masterfully he had put it together.

Her eyes misted a little bit and she pulled the mirror away and to the side so she could hug her friend tightly, "It's beautiful, Tarrant. Thank you."

"You are very welcome, Alice," he said and carefully hugged her back, "If you are thinking like a Hightopp, I think that you should be crowned like one."

Suddenly Alice's smile dropped.

"Alice? Did I say something wrong?" Tarrant asked and tipped the brim of the new hat back so he could see her face, "I did not mean to offend, quite the opposite. I wanted to make you laugh and smile and see your hair shimmer like it should. I must have picked the wrong blue- though you look good an any-"

"Tarrant," Alice smiled a little bit more and touched the side of his face.

"-blue. Thank you," he nodded.

"I love it…"

"But?"

"Crowned isn't the best word to use around me right now."

"Oh, of course," he finally understood and looked at her cautiously, "Have you come to a decision on that point?"

"I think I may have. If you would be so kind as to take a walk with me before dinner, I might be able to discuss it in more detail," she looked at the table where Mally looked confused and sad at the two still in one another's arms while Thackery began singing to the spoon. Alice patted his arms to tell him to let her go. He did so hesitantly and she stood up, "I will announce my decision for everyone else at dinner."

"And what decision is this?" Mally asked as she hopped out of her tea pot, "Is this that secret that you know of, Hatter?"

"It is that and something quite important, Mally," Tarrant answered for Alice and nodded to her, "I would be honored to escort you around the falls this afternoon."

"Thank you, Tarrant," Alice tugged a little on her smaller hat and sat back in her place at the table.

Tarrant clapped again and picked up a tea pot with three spouts on it to pour tea into three different cups, "But until then, let us continue with our tea party. Pass the jelly, Thackery."

* * *

"Alice?" Tarrant whispered into the bushes that lined the pathway to the falls that lined one side of Marmoreal. He titled his head and pushed aside a few of them, "I knew to be very particular about where to meet. So where could that lad be?"

A soft giggle sounded behind him and his head snapped up and out of the bushes. He turned around to find Alice still crowned with his own creation, but now in a silver-blue dinner dress. She had one hand politely over her mouth to cover the louder of her giggles as she watched him.

"There you are," Tarrant laughed with her and consciously swiped at the sticks and leaves that had found their way into his hair.

"Yes, here I am," Alice shrugged, "Why in Heaven's name would I be in the bushes?"

Tarrant smiled broadly and held out his arm for her to loop hers through. She took it without thought as if it was a natural reaction and they began their walk down the pathway.

"You never know where you could slip and fall into the shrubbery, Alice," he said in a note of seriousness, "The mists of the falls travel far up the pathway and over the polished stone."

"Ah," she uttered.

As if on some unknown cue Alice's slipper clad foot shot from beneath her and launched her toward the aforementioned shrubbery. With her grip on his arm, Alice managed to stay out of the leaves, but quickly whipped around and collided into his chest. He held a hand at the small of her back to better support her and caught the light blush in her cheeks. His own felt hot and he could have sworn that it was contagious.

Alice looked into his eyes and then, despite herself, began to laugh. She buried her forehead into his chest with a bit of embarrassment as her hat slipped back on her head. Soon after he began to laugh with her and hugged her to himself for a few seconds.

"Now I understand," she said with mirth still in her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his neck for what he suspected was a hug, until she pressed her soft lips upon his cheek, "Thank you for looking for me where no one else would."

"Yer very welcome," he said with a bit of a brogue to his voice and rubbed on the cheek that she kissed.

She adjusted her hat back to center and grabbed a firm hold of his arm once again, "So we should make a deal. You keep me from falling- of which you have demonstrated that you could do quite well- and I will keep you from falling."

"I think ye 'ave caused me to fall already," he whispered to himself.

"What was that?" Alice asked as she looked for puddles on the polished pathway.

"Nothing of consequence," he said quickly as he tried to cover his brogue and began to walk with a more pronounced pace. They entered the main ring of the falls and looked up to see the top only to think that the falls went on into the heavens themselves. Alice smiled and closed her eyes to feel the slight mist kiss her face.

Tarrant drank in the sight and then shook his head to clear it, "What part of your decision did you want to discuss with me?"

Alice sighed and opened her eyes to look at him, "Do you think that I would be a good queen?"

"Of course I do," he nodded in a serious moment and took both of her hands in his, "You are just and take much into consideration. You have grown into a very thoughtful and caring woman. You will think much on your subjects and what is best for them. On top of that you are as mad as most of us here, which is always a positive position to be in."

"Will I know what is best?" she looked at their hands and her brows furrowed a little, "It feels as if all I am thinking of is myself and how it will affect me. I cannot have that attitude toward a kingdom."

"You did not think of yourself when you dawned the armor of the champion and faced the Jabberwock on your own."

"That was for you," she said softly and looked up to see dark blue and purple swirl in his eyes, covering the green, "I couldn't let you all sacrifice everything and then to stay in the palace like a scared child thinking that it will be okay. And everyone will be back without a scratch."

"And tha' is why ye will be a wonderful queen…" he swiped some of her hair from her forehead and back under her new hat as his brogue took over, "… if tha' is what ye truly wish."

"I do not know many of my own wishes," Alice let go of his hand and walked toward the edge of the pond where there was white sand instead of polished rock where she could stop herself from falling. She looked back up at the falls in thought, "I have lived for so many others, it seems. I helped to develop my father's company for his memory. I tried to be a model lady for my mother and sister. I even went back to England for them as if it was my own idea when I felt like all I wanted was here. I don't even know how to distinguish what are my dreams from theirs."

Tarrrant frowned and walked behind her. He put both his hands on her shoulders and then put his chin over one of his hands, "Follow yer heart then. It will tell the difference between the two."

Alice turned around to him and put her hands on either side of his face to stare at the swirling dark colors. It always soothed her and she needed it, "How does my heart tell me?"

"When yer heart yearns for yer dreams, it tightens," he took her hands from his face and held them gently in his own, "It beats frightfully fast as if the Jabberwock was at your back. When ye see yer dream, even in yer mind," he quickly closed his eyes, "yer heart fills full and content. That is when ye know it is yer own dream and not another's."

Alice watched him and suddenly felt her heart become tightened and beat frantically fast. She felt his breath over her hands which he still held and wanted very much for him to kiss her knuckles. She took a breath and Tarrant opened his eyes to look into her wide, almost scared brown ones.

"What's wrong?" he suddenly broke from his outlandish brogue.

"I just discovered a dream that wasn't completely realized," she calmed herself down and put her hands behind her back as she turned from him.

Tarrant opened and closed his hands with the absence of hers. He smiled, "Then you have reached your decision?"

Alice closed her eyes and thought about her kingdom. Her subjects, the people of Underland, and Mirana the queen she would share rule with. She pictured herself on a modest throne and her friends around her. Suddenly her heart tightened once again, and little less intense than before and suddenly felt content.

"Alice?"

She opened her eyes slowly and looked at the Hatter. A mad man by nearly anyone's standard waited patiently for her answer.

"A dream of one can be shared by many," was all she said and looped her arm through his and leaned on his shoulder, careful to watch her new hat.

"I believe that you are talking in riddles," he offered, but put a hand on the one holding his other arm.

"Not more than usual," she smiled with a new determination, "I think it is almost time for dinner."

"I suppose so, but don't listen to him about tea time, because that is where he will stick you," Tarrant warned.

"Indeed," she agreed and then looked up at him with a sudden question, "Why were you calling me a lad earlier?"

"To keep my thoughts focused," he answered with a shrug, "Do not worry, Alice. I am not mad enough to not notice that you are in fact a woman."

Alice nodded in satisfaction and closed her eyes once more and she leaned against his shoulder.

He looked up for some kind of help from the heavens, 'Sometimes I think it would be easier if I did think you were just a lad.'

* * *

Around the royal table, there were two more places set for the addition of Thackery and Mally. Alice sat to the right of Mirana as she had the night before- now with her glorious, new hat on her head and Tarrant like a comfortable shadow at her other side. Chessur was across from them with a wide smile at being invited to another royal dinner and sipped at his tea instead of the full plate at the last dinner. Mirana daintily sipped on her tea as well and left her salad untouched. She had been thinking on Alice's upcoming decision probably as much as Alice had.

Alice bit her salad every so often, but found it hard to concentrate on her dinner. She still had to think of a way to break her decision to the others at the table.

Chess purred and looked over at Tarrant, "It seems as if Alice now has her own hat."

"It seems that way, yes," Tarrant nodded.

"Would it plausible that you will be doing them in a series that may indeed include one of my own?"

"I wouldn't count on it, Chess," Tarrant bit into his fruit.

"And why not?"

"I don't like you as much as I like Alice," Tarrant said almost childishly and tugged at the edge of his top hat as if Chessur had somehow grabbed it once again.

"I would definitely hope not," Chess pulled a face that made Mirana giggle and then notice that Alice hadn't even reacted to the exchange.

"Alice," Mirana said in a soft tone to bring Alice's attention to her, "It seems as if you are a bit distracted tonight. Anything that you may want to share with us?"

"I was trying to find a way to voice my decision," Alice said with a heavy sigh with the thought that honesty may be the best policy in this situation.

"You have made one already?" Mirana asked with shock in her voice, "Please do not hurry your choice, Champion. Underland can wait."

"But it has already made its choice, I believe that I should make one as well."

"What choice is this I keep hearing about?" Mally asked and wanted to stomp her foot in frustration, but refrained from doing so at the royal table, "Hatter first tells us that we are going to hear it at tea, and here it is now much past tea time and no news as of the surprise yet."

"Alice is now more or less royalty," Chessur said nonchalantly and put his cup down on a saucer then snickered as he saw Mally's reaction.

"When did this happen?" she nearly squeaked in her awe.

"Apparently when I was a child," Alice shrugged, "Which makes sense why I didn't remember it. I didn't remember much from my travels here until I came back and realized it wasn't some fantastical dream. I'm thinking these memories are the same way and becoming clear only with time."

"So what's the choice in this?" Mally asked and decided that all her other questions about this discovery was to be answered later.

"On whether or not Alice would take the crown that she was given, or live as a regular citizen," Mirana explained and looked to Alice for an answer, "And what is your answer?"

"I, much like you, believe in Underland, in more ways than just one," Alice took a deep breath, "And I will not doubt it. I will take up the red queen's crown."

"You do understand that there will be danger, and there will be opposition?" Mirana pleaded with her young friend, "Not only from natural enemies, but some of your own people will want to doubt your rule."

"When isn't there opposition?" Alice asked as she felt Tarrant place a hand of assurance on one of her own, "I had more than my share of that during my time in China."

"There are obstacles and a call that you must answer to find the crown on your brow. No matter how difficult, you must know how to overcome them."

"Then I will face and surmount them if that is what means to wear the crown Underland had already placed upon my head as a child."

"Are you willing to do so even if it changes who you are?" Mirana stared her in the eyes, "Are you willing to change, Alice?"

Alice felt Tarrant's hand squeeze her own and she could tell without even seeing them that his eyes had probably turned a shade of a vivid pink. She squeezed back in what hopefully was a comforting gesture.

"_I cannot go back to yesterday, for I was a different person then_," Alice concluded and stared Mirana back in her eyes, "And I will continue to be a different person with or without a crown. As I learn and grow, I will most certainly change. And to do so… I will accept my place as your aunt's heir."

"So be it," Mirana smiled and straightened in her chair, "After dinner I will take you to the library and we will begin our search for your task at hand."

Alice nodded and found her appetite renewed.


	10. Follow the Royal Calling

**Chapter IX**: Follow the Royal Calling

Mirana swiftly flowed through the many walkways from the dining hall to the entrance hall where she and Alice had met again and where she was reunited with the Vorpal sword. Although the other dinner guests had gone off to discuss their thoughts of Alice's choice, Tarrant stayed with her and walked closely behind to show his support.

Mirana opened the hall doors slightly and looked at Alice as if to tell her to go first. Alice bowed her head slightly and walked through the small opening. Tarrant went to step forward, but Mirana placed a soft hand against his chest.

"I am sorry, Tarrant," she apologized and pushed him back just slightly, "This is only to be heard by queens and queens-to-be."

"I understand," Tarrant nodded and looked over Mirana's head to Alice, "I will be in my work shop off grounds when you are finished. Something tells me it will be a while until you are done. Stop by and we could have another tea party. Do not be late."

Alice laughed at the thought of being late to a party that had no start time and nodded, "I was hoping to see your workshop soon, and tea sounds lovely."

"Fairfarren, Alice," he smiled back at her and then nodded his head to Mirana, "Fairfarren, Mirana."

"She will see you soon," Mirana promised and nodded her head for his exit. He looked over her head to Alice once more before walking back down the hall they had just traveled. Mirana shook her head in amusement and then shut the door behind her. She locked the hall and then turned to Alice, "That man is so in love, it is almost too sweet."

"Tarrant is in love?" Alice asked as her heart sunk and then rose in hope at the same time, making her hand shoot up to cover the center of her chest in response.

"Isn't it obvious, dear Alice?" Mirana giggled lightly and walked to her throne where a large crown sat upon a pillow to the side. Alice followed closely behind.

"Apparently not, your majesty," Alice looked worriedly at the door and then at Mirana who stood at the foot of her own throne.

Mirana sighed in exasperation, "Call me-"

"Mirana, I apologize," Alice said quickly although her eyes traveled back and forth to the door.

"And apparently he isn't the only one," Mirana curled some of Alice's blond hair between her fingers, "One might think a talk and revelation is in order."

"A revelation has already been made on one side," Alice admitted and felt her cheeks burn.

"It is good feeling to have," Mirana nodded and put her hands on Alice's shoulders to focus her attention, "But on to your crown."

Alice looked around Mirana to stare at the crown at the side of the throne. It was much different from the crown she had as a child. The crown she had was heavy and a bit top heavy, this crown was the same that Mirana had worn on the Frabjous day.

"This is my crown?" Alice pointed at the one on the pillow.

"No, my champion," Mirana laughed airily, "This one is mine. Your crown will reappear when you have finished your trial."

"Trial?" Alice asked and furrowed her brows as Mirana put her crown on her head.

"For every queen and king of Underland, there is a challenge to prove her worthiness not only to the people they are to govern, but to the land itself," Mirana began to explain and gestured to the pictures of the queens and kings of past that lined the walls. Alice hadn't noticed them there the last time she was in the throne room. They were more than likely put up to illustrate Mirana's point for this discussion. In each picture a queen or king of Underland was set in front of a challenge that they had defeated, "Even if we are chosen by fate, by birth, or by the land itself, we must have a challenge to prove ourselves. And in a way to discover ourselves as well. Only after completing our challenge will our crown appear to us on our brow."

Alice noticed the picture of the white king, Mirana's father. He was dressed in common clothes- or what would be common for Underland- and held what looked like a hook and rope in one hand. He faced a few dozen Jub Jub birds and something in a bright light behind them, "Your father even had a trial?"

"He and mother loved one another greatly," Mirana sighed from the memories of her parents telling her and her sister the story of their fight to be together, "But to be with her he had to prove himself a worthy king. He had to battle a flock of Jub Jub birds to reach my mother's engagement ring. It took skill, cunning and a bit of madness to face that flock by himself. But he felt mother was worth it."

"Is that what my king would have to do?" Alice asked and frowned a little. She couldn't imagine asking Tarrant to do something like that for her. That is, if he even wanted her in that way.

"If that is something that is awaiting you," Mirana smiled knowingly and looped Alice's arm through hers to pull her to the next picture. They viewed the pictures in companionable silence as if they had gone on an outing to the museum. Alice looked at the trials with a studying eye, but her mind marveled at the feats in front of her. How was she to prove herself like those before her?

They stopped in front of the portrait of Mirana herself and her supposed trial. Her portrait did not hold any major exploit as those before her had. She sat upon her throne with the smaller crown on her head and a straight, unexpressive smile on her face. Her hands were folded on her lap on the pure white dress that seemed to shimmer even in her portrait. It seemed… almost normal. Alice titled her head a bit in confusion and tried to see something that she was possibly missing.

"Confused?" Mirana asked and Alice took a step closer to the portrait.

"Fairly," Alice nodded and turned to her, "What was your trial?"

"To be a queen," Mirana said softly and looked at her portrait.

"I don't quite understand, Mirana," Alice said truthfully.

"When my parent's crowned me as queen, I was younger than you are," Mirana explained as she studied her own portrait, "I had to leave my dreams and my thoughts of possible futures behind to take up the throne. I wasn't perceived as ready to take a kingdom. And I hadn't been given my trial by Underland at that point."

"Then how did you have your crown?"

"I didn't," she shook her head, "My parents could not give me their crown, but they could give me all the responsibilities of the land."

"So in essence, you become the caregiver of Underland."

"Of my portion, yes," she nodded, "When you are in the mind set of taking the crown, Underland will give you your calling."

"How did you know yours?"

"I was studying some books in the library on trading laws when I became frustrated and threw a few of the lesson books against the wall," Mirana chuckled to herself, "I lost my temper and everything seemed to crash down. Aunt Gabriesme was dead, my sister, the perpetrator for her murder along with thousands to follow, my grandparents were gone, my parents did not know how to fight their own child and were no help to me. I was just crowned not two weeks prior and I felt I couldn't even hold my own emotions. It was then I felt the earth beneath my feet shift."

Alice listened patiently and Mirana patted her arm, "I heard this voice speak into me. I didn't catch it with my ears, but my heart. It told me to be strong. It told me to be a queen."

"That seems to be too broad of an answer," Alice said suddenly, "What kind of queen did it want you to be?"

"One that I knew the land needed," Mirana answered swiftly, "I put everything I had felt at the moment away. In that instant I sacrificed everything I thought I knew of my life and laid it out for Underland. I stood straighter, walked lighter and wore the crown that appeared on my head with the dignity that I believed it deserved. I remembered what my mother was like in court functions, and that is what I became. Permanently."

"You gave up your happiness."

"I gave up what I thought was my happiness," Mirana smiled and looked at her portrait, "It was my trial, and the hardest day and decision I have ever made. But I found new happiness in time and I have never regretted my choice or my crown. Though, I do miss my innocent days that I gave up to grow up and change into a queen so quickly."

"Just how old were you?" Alice asked and looked at the portrait closer. She hadn't noticed it, but Mirana was very young looking in the picture under all the pomp and circumstance of her dress and hair.

"I was equivalent to a sixteen year old in your Otherworld," Mirana said carefully and Alice gasped. Mirana smiled a little, "I grew seven more years when time stopped me from growing further."

"That is a great sacrifice that you gave for your land."

"It was something that had to be done."

"So I will hear my calling just as you did?" Alice asked and tried to move the conversation along.

"Some queens hear it the way I had, some hear it differently," Mirana mused, "Aunt Sophanna swore that she heard her calling from her soup one morning at breakfast. And not two minutes after she heard it, she started her trial and a crown was on her brow by brillig."

Alice had to giggle at the visual she had of the exchange.

"You will hear it when Underland knows you are ready."

"Thank you, Mirana," Alice smiled and quickly hugged the queen. Even if they were born worlds apart, she still felt as if they were always meant to be sisters.

* * *

Alice followed the long pathway from Marmoreal gates to Tarrant's workshop. It seemed a lot further when she rode on his shoulder, but the world was much bigger then as well. She spotted a clearing, still marred with scorch marks, and a larger building shaped much like a hat. She brightened instantly and took a deep breath.

"I do believe that a talk is in order, Mr. Hightopp," Alice said to herself and swatted at her dress as if that would make it lay flat. She knocked at his door to which it immediately opened and two arms wrapped around her quickly. She squeaked as Tarrant pulled her into his home and hugged her closely.

"Hello to you too, Tarrant," Alice laughed after she got over the initial surprise.

"Welcome to my workshop and home," he said and placed her on the floor of the first room. She began to look around and saw a small, modest kitchen- complete with three sets of mismatched tea sets- a larger sitting area and a hallway which led to three doors. She assumed one would lead to his bedroom, which she would not ask to see- it would be most improper- the second door was probably a washroom and the third his workshop.

"It is not the most exuberant of areas, but it suits me just fine. Not the royal workshop, to be sure, but it is home. Do you like it Alice? It is missing a bit of a blue flare, though it does have the brown of your eyes in many places. Not that they should be any other-"

"Tarrant, it's a beautiful home," Alice put a hand on the side of his arm.

"-color. I'm fine," he squeaked and smiled at Alice's approval.

Alice took a breath as if she was going to ask him something, but he acted quickly.

"I am just finishing the royal courts order and the queen's latest hat," he announced with a skip to his step toward his workshop, "Would you like to see?"

"Very much so," she nodded and followed him to the furthest door. She was in one way happy that he had interrupted her. She didn't know exactly how to lead a conversation to tell a man that you very well may be in love with them.

He opened it and Alice seemed to find herself immediately lost. Rolls upon splotches and cuts of colored material littered every area and piece of floor. There were tubes stacked in one corner while forms covered another. Even though she knew she should see the area a mess, she couldn't see it as anything other than its own masterpiece. No wonder he felt better working in here.

"These are the last of the order, I am taking them back to Marmoreal as soon as I finish this last piece," Tarrant sat on the one clear stool in front of a large brimmed silver hat.

"Do you mind if I watch you finish?"

"Not at all," Tarrant smiled and quickly pushed a tub of swatches off of a large chest so she could sit.

"Thank you," Alice smiled and sat comfortably on the chest.

Tarrant took his position back on his stool and began to touch up the hat in front of him. Alice watched entranced as his hands danced over the material as they bunched, teased and sewed the material. It was as if he was making his own kind of magic. Her eyes traveled from his hands to his face. He looked content, but focused, as if this is what he was meant to do. Instead of leading rebellions and sacrificing himself to let one girl escape, he was meant to make masterpieces of lace and ribbon.

It was in that instance Alice vowed to make sure that he, or any other in Underland, would not have to give up their dreams or callings to fight for their right of freedom.

Alice felt the chest beneath her shift a little and she looked down confused. Then to her side one of the finished hats moved and shifted toward her. Then her own hat on her head began to tilt. She gently took it off her head and held it in her lap. It was then that the ribbon looped around her wrist and she felt something shift in her heart.

'You are ready, Queen Alice.'

"What?" Alice whispered so low Tarrant hadn't heard her.

The voice returned and grew louder in volume that she felt more than she heard, 'It is your turn to face your challenge. To take up the crown you must find the throne which was lost. Remember, dear girl, that which you have lost.'

The ribbon suddenly fell from her wrist and the voice was gone. She shook her head a little and looked at the immobile hat.

"Alice?" Tarrant asked from his seat putting the last of the hats into hat boxes, "Would you like me to accompany you back to Marmoreal?"

"I think that would be a good idea," she wondered how long the exchange between her and the hat had lasted. She put her hat back on her head and shuffled a couple of the boxes under an arm. After a small argument of a future queen carrying hat boxes, Tarrant relented her to carrying two while he carried the others.

The two entered the throne room before Mirana was able to retire for the evening.

"It looks as if you have finished in record time, Tarrant," Mirana beamed and looked at Alice, "A little inspiration drove you, I imagine?"

"Something like that, yes," he nodded and opened the box with the large brimmed hat and handed it to Mirana, "Your newest addition."

"Tarrant, it is absolutely marvelous. Your greatest creation for me to date!" she squealed and placed it on her head since she had taken the crown off after her talk with Alice.

Alice watched the exchange, but her foot began to tap in nervousness. Mirana noticed her movements and narrowed her eyes, "Alice? Are you feeling well?"

"I heard it," she whispered.

"Heard what?" Tarrant looked around and then back at the woman beside him.

"The calling."

Mirana's eyes widened and then looked at her closely, "And what is it asking of you?"

"To find the throne that was lost. Which I have lost," Alice said a little confused. She then chuckled a little, "I do believe that I have a quest in front of me."

"I believe you are right," Mirana stood from her throne, "How many horses will you need?"

"I will take none," Alice shook her head, "I believe a journey on foot will treat me well. I still need to discover this land anew."

"So be it," Mirana nodded.

"I may need some kind of map."

"Then you must travel back to Salzen Grum," Mirana frowned, "Iracebeth took many of the maps and the ones I have would be of no help to you."

"That's my first stop, then."

"I assume you will want to leave immediately?"

"In the morning would be best," Alice tried her best not to look in Tarrant's direction because she knew how he may be hurt by this. She was leaving, just when she promised she would stay forever.

"Then we leave after morning tea?" Tarrant asked as both women turned their head to him, "We did skip the tea I promised you after you visited my workshop."

"Tarrant, this is a journey that may take a good portion of time," Alice said, "It will take you away from your trade for quite a while. You have given that up for way too long now, and I saw how you enjoyed it so. I couldn't ask you to leave it again."

"You are not asking, I am offering to go. It's nice to have a break from it, and that was a very large order for Mirana and the ladies of the court," Tarrant gestured to the dozen hat boxes they had carried over, "Besides, my favorite trade is being with you."

"You are allowed companionship on your trail, unless told differently," Mirana smiled under the brim of her hat.

"I wasn't told any differently," Alice shook her head.

"Then I do believe you have a traveling companion," Tarrant smiled and hooked his arm through hers.

"A fairfarren breakfast will be served in the morning, and our friends will see you off," Mirana walked toward the doorway to the dining hall, "I will make the preparations with Nivens."

Alice nodded toward her as she disappeared behind the door. She turned to Tarrant who watched her with careful eyes.

"Why?" she asked.

"Did you not want me to come?"

"Quite the opposite," Alice smiled which was contagious for him, "But won't you miss everything here?"

"It will be here when I get back. We are not leaving Underland from the sound of it," he argued and held her face in his hands. She closed her eyes briefly to feel the thimbles topping his fingers and the roughness of his worked hands, "Besides, you are worth it. Always have been."

Her eyes shot open, "Thank you."

"I will never leave you, Alice," he tilted her hat up with his thumbs to keep his hands on her soft cheeks and carefully placed his forehead on hers, knocking his own top hat back, "I don't think I ever have."

"No, you haven't," Alice wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his neck, "And I will never leave you."


	11. Red Crossing

**A/N**: An immense apology to all those who have been waiting for me to continue this story. I have broken my own promise and begun on another fanfiction in another fandom. I am still working on this one since the other is on it's way to being complete. I have now started summer break, so hopefully that will lend me some time to finish this up, or get a good head start on it. Thank goodness for three weeks no school. Let me tell you, art school takes up a good amount of time. Please enjoy!

**Chapter X**: Red Crossing

Alice and Tarrant walked from Marmoreal after their fairfarren lunch with their friends. Mirana hugged Alice close before she left and wished her a smooth trip, though she knew it would be anything but. She told Tarrant to take care of her and he promised to protect her with his life. He had been given a shorter sword from the royal battalion to help in just that.

Neither one of them had more than a small bag for a change of clothes, some items to trade if needed, some upelkuchen and a vile of pishalver each. Both had their top hats on and Tarrant had a large smile on his face. Every so often Tarrant would point out a spot of Underland history that may have seemed of no consequence to anyone from her world, but would mean the world to maybe a few in this one.

By nightfall they had made it to a small inn toward the outer lines of the Red Desert. Tarrant had explained that the whole area had been deserted during the full reign of Iracebeth and Underlanders were finally taking back their property. He walked into the inn with Alice glued to his side.

A young woman with vibrant pink hair brushed off a few talking mice from the counter and smiled toward the new customers, "Hello there, you need a room for the night?"

"I think a room is exactly what the cat ordered," Tarrant chuckled to himself and pulled Alice to his side, "Something with two beds, if you don't mind."

The woman began to look for their room key in a drawer filled to the brim with different sized and colored keys. Her eyes fluttered from Tarrant to the woman beside him and tilted her head a little to fight her memories for the picture of the girl in front of her. Her hand suddenly stopped its search of their key and pointed directly towards Alice's face.

"It's you!" she shouted which made both Alice and Tarrant jump a little at the unexpected verbal explosion.

"Beg your pardon?" Alice asked with a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

"Beg me for nothing!" she frowned and put her hand back down. She looked away from Alice and put all her focus into the search for their room key once again, "So you're back again, huh? I thought all those whispers of _our champion's_ return were just rumors. Sure took her time getting back here last time after all."

"I would advise very highly not to bring Time into the discussion," Tarrant said with a pointed finger and then frowned at the woman, "Alice is not at fault for her late return time."

"Not at fault?" the woman asked and pulled a large key out of the drawer and slammed it on the counter top with a loud clang. She looked directly at Alice in the eyes, "If you had been a few dozen Brilligs earlier, my parents would still be running this inn. They would still be alive."

Alice's eyes widened a little at the thought and opened her mouth to apologize.

"Words don't bring back the dead, puppet," the inn keeper hissed.

"Neither does venom, lass," Tarrant growled in his brogue from behind Alice. He slipped his hand over the key and stared down the woman in front of him, "She came back. She slew the jabberwocky. We all lost a bit of somthin' under the Bluddy Behg Hid. I be thankful with wha' I 'ave."

The woman didn't say anything more and turned her head from them, "The room is free for the night for the _Champion of Underland_ from the Over world."

"Come Alice," Tarrant turned from the counter with key in hand. When he didn't feel her comforting presence at his side he stopped and turned back to her, "Alice?"

Alice stayed in front of the counter even though the inn keeper hadn't turned back to look at her. Alice took a deep breath and looked at the young woman who she realized only looked to be in her late teen years. Of course in Underland that didn't mean too much, but since she had her parents she probably didn't want or have a need to grow much older. Now she had almost too much growing to do.

"What's your name?" Alice asked quietly to the woman in front of her.

She hesitated at first and looked from Alice to a very lively looking spot on the wall. She cleared her throat and then sighed out, "Criksus."

Alice smiled, "I like it."

"What should you know Overworlder?"

"You're right, not much," Alice shook her head and sighed, "That's why I am learning all I can. And you have taught me something else, so I thank you."

"What did _I_ teach _you_?" she asked a little uncertain and let her arms hang at her sides while she turned toward Alice.

"Some will be thankful, some will be resentful and some will be content," Alice paused, "Some of us are contradictions to ourselves, but we all fight the same battle to survive through our circumstances… to sometimes find ourselves."

"What is that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Possibly nothing, I do seem to talk in riddles at times," Alice still smiled at Criksus, "We all need another version of ourselves to face that we haven't met before. Thank you."

"You're welcome," Criksus said slowly, still unsure what she had done for her.

"I am sorry for your parent's passing," Alice said in all sincerity as she remembered the pain she felt when she first lost her father. She put her hand on the counter as if in a peace offering. When Criksus didn't move toward her she sighed heavily, "Have a good evening."

Alice turned from the counter and walked toward Tarrant. He looked her in the eyes with a bit of pride on how she handled herself. He put an arm around her shoulders and guided her down toward the room that they were given for the night.

Criksus looked down at the counter where Alice's hand was. She saw a few crystals that were pretty valuable since they hadn't been seen since before Iracebeth took the throne. She picked up the small jewels and looked toward the hallway that Champion Alice and her companion walked down.

Later that night, Alice looked out the large window at the side of the room that they were given. The room was actually split into two by a wall partition. Alice had mixed feelings about the wall; happy it was there for propriety's sake, but unhappy that it disconnected her from her best friend. Tarrant was on the other side of the thin wall lost in sleep and dreams of his own design. Alice slightly envied him for the way his body fell into sleep. She guessed that he trained it to fall asleep when he could since he never really knew when he could sleep in peace again during the Red Queen's rule. Her mind was far from that point despite the long trek they had to make through the Red Desert the next day.

She sighed and looked out into the desert and then at her own reflection in the glass, "Who in the world am I?"

Criksus did open her eyes to a new view of herself. Mirana had warned her of opposition, but she was not ready to face the consequences of being dreadfully late to the party that Underland had set for her. So many of the Underland inhabitants had been so grateful to her that she never really saw the other half of the situation. There were others out in this world that don't and possibly never will have a positive outlook on their champion. That will be something she will have to address once she ascended to the throne. She didn't want any of her subjects to be unhappy with their ruler. Not after Iracebeth. They deserved better than that.

"I will have to find Queen Alice," she said to her reflection, "She is in there somewhere. And she will be better than the Champion Alice. She will never be late again."

* * *

"And here, Alice, is where we will begin our trek over the desert and to Salzen Grum," Tarrant announced and gestured to the wide expanse of the red sands. He smiled to himself and looked down at her, "Are you quite ready for it?"

"I have been for quite a while now, I just never really knew it," she smiled back at him and tapped at the top of her hat to make sure that she didn't lose her new hat while they made their way through. She took his hand in hers and took a few steps forward before she was surprised by a large face appearing in front of her. She stumbled backward and fell back into Tarrant's chest.

"Good morning, everyone," Chessur greeted and let the rest of his body appear after his face.

Alice smiled up at him, "Good morning, Chess."

Tarrant helped Alice back up on her feet and narrowed his eyes at the floating feline, "What do we owe this surprise visit for?"

"Can't I help the champion in her quest my own way?" he questioned as he floated around Tarrant's head and then settled on top of Alice's hat still upon her head.

"What have you got up your sleeve, Chess?" she asked and looked up as if she could see him through the brim.

"No sleeves, love," he reminded her and floated upside down in front of her face, "The Red Desert plays many tricks on those who don't know much of it. I have some tricks of my own to combat them."

"Bayard didn't have much trouble when I came to get Tarrant out," she explained.

"Ah, but he was under the 'service' of the Red Queen," he reminded her, "She controlled it to a point. Now that she is gone, it has gone back to its wild ways. I have heard of it swallowing a large boragrove within a full rotation of a clock face."

"And what secrets did you find Chess?" Tarrant asked and folded his arms over his chest to watch the evaporating cat.

Chessur's face stretched out into a larger smile, "You will have to wait and see."

"Okay Chess," Alice caught his attention, "Teach us then."

"My pleasure," Chessur floated to the beginning of the red sand where a storm immediately blew. He pointed to the ground where a thick piece of what looked like white ribbon laid innocently on the ground. He grinned as he disappeared all bit his grin, "Just follow the ribbon and you will be fine."

Alice turned to Tarrant who nodded to her. He grabbed her hand once again and they both walked into the sand storm and along the ribbon.

For what felt like hours Alice and Tarrant were pummeled by high winds and bouts of horrible think sand banks. Both of them tried their best to keep an eye on the white ribbon beneath their feet and would hear Chessur's voice if they strayed too far from the path he had found for them. They kept a hard grasp on one another's hand to make sure even if they lost their way, they would not lose one another. Alice was surprised that their hats had stayed on their heads for so long during the punishing winds.

As if he heard her unasked question Tarrant yelled through the winds, "My own bit of talent to fit it just so."

He patted the top of his own hat to demonstrate. She laughed a little at the motion. Something you should never do during a sand storm should you upset the desert.

A large swell of wind and sand came toward them and immediately swallowed Alice and tore her from Tarrant's grip. He fell to the ground, able to still see the ribbon, but could not see a spot of blue from Alice's hat or dress.

"Alice!" he yelled through the blinding sands.

"Don't tell me you have lost her already," Chessur said as he wrapped himself around Tarrant's collar and reappeared.

"Alice! Dear Alice!" he yelled into the sands frantically. He began to step off of the ribbon when Chess pushed a few of his claws into his shoulder.

"Stay on the ribbon," Chessur reminded him.

"And let her be lost to the Red Desert?" Tarrant asked as he eyes began to change, "Never."

"She is being tested," Chessur reassured him, "It's time you test yourself and be patient for her return."

Tarrant's eyes turned back to his green and sighed, "As I always have been patient."

He sat where he was on the white ribbon. He would wait for her. He would keep a position on the ribbon and be her beacon out of the storm.

"I just hope Time doesn't move too slowly this go around."

* * *

The tornado of sand and wind finally dropped Alice in a section of the desert she was sure was far from Tarrant and immensely less turbulent. She patted down her dress and brushed off what she could off of her top hat. She looked around her surroundings and didn't see any landmarks or any hint of a direction that she should take.

She cupped her hands around her mouth and began to call out, "Tarrant! Tarrant, can you hear me? Chess?"

She waited a moment for an answer, but didn't hear anything back. She sighed and looked around once more, "Well Alice, it seems as if you have gotten lost once again."

"**You're always lost aren't you?**_"_

Alice spun in her spot as she heard the voice. With no one around for what looked like miles she furrowed her brows, "Hello?"

"**Always dreaming, always searching for something other than what you have. Things that you should be grateful for.**_"_

She suddenly remembered that voice and turned to her left where a large sand dune shaped itself to the likeness of someone back home.

"Mother?"

"**Will you please wake up out of your day dream and act civilized?"** a dune to her left shaped itself like that of Lady Ascot.

"I do act civilized," she rebutted with a scoff, "As much as you know on the subject, I would think that-"

"**Keep your temper in check, will you little sister?"** another dune shot up in the likeness of Margaret.

"How did you get here?" she asked a little uneasy at the copies.

"**Travel of course**," a Lord Ascot copy promptly brushed out his sand beard with a wisp of wind, **"The company is jumping in leaps and bounds."**

"**No thanks to a female such as yourself,"** Lady Ascot added.

"I made more progress for father's company than any man!" she growled and balled up her fist.

"**If you don't straighten up Alice…" **her mother started and turned to her sister.

"**We can't be burdened by you forever," **the sand Margaret sighed, **"We have no use of a little girl who only wants to daydream."**

Alice looked down at herself and saw the same blue dress and white apron she wore on her first trip to Underland. She gasped and looked at the now towering dunes over her as if she was still only five years old.

"**Marry someone with reputation!"** her mother yelled.

"**Stop hoping for any better. There is nothing better than this,"** Margaret made a sand baby appear in her arms.

"**Become the lady that you were born to be,"** Lady Ascot rolled her head to the side as if to look her over.

Lord Ascot laughed a little to himself, **"No more of this business nonsense."**

"**You are no queen, Alice. Listen, or we will leave you,"** her mother sighed.

"**Just like you left us."**

"I didn't leave you like this!" she yelled with her five year old voice straining.

"**Leaving is leaving, Alice!"** her mother added.

"**And soon he will leave you as well,"** Margaret said slowly.

Alice's eyes shot open and she looked up at the rotating dunes, "What?"

"**Your hatter. He will leave you as well one day. Everyone does."**

"No!" she yelled and grabbed the sides of her head. She closed her eyes and tried to block out the voices that surrounded her. She thought back to her adventures and what she had been through. Vibrant green eyes cut through the fog in her mind and captured her attention. They slowly turned to blue and purple in a swirl that she has become entranced by.

'I will never leave you, Alice… I never have…'

"Tarrant," she whispered to herself and the sands leaned over to hear her better.

"**What was that Alice? Ready to give up on your silly adventure?" **Lady Ascot looked down her nose at her.

"**Come home, dear,"** her mother asked and held out a hand toward her.

"Never," she opened her eyes and found herself the right proper Alice size and age. She patted the top of her hat and raised her chin to the sand copies, "Most of you had severed connections with me when I was in England. You never understood me. You left me long ago. And though I love you so dearly, my family and dear friend…"

She promptly ignored the copy of the Lady Ascot, "…I must do this for myself. Something for myself for once. I will always love you, but you are wrong about one thing."

"**And what's that, dear?"**

"He will never leave me. When all else may doubt, he will be the one who believes," she smiled, "And you don't hold any power over me anymore. I am my own."

The sands shifted and the copies of her mother, sister, business partner and his wife all crumbled into the desert. Alice closed her eyes and took a large breath.

"Now," she opened them again, "Let's find that Hatter and Cheshire cat."

She tried to listen for anything when she heard it.

"Alice…"

"Tarrant," she smiled and picked her feet from the sand that had sucked them in. She followed the sound until she found a small ball of a sand storm around Tarrant. She shook her head in a little bit of amusement, "Is that all we were stuck in?"

She walked to the ball of sand and looked at the wall that had shrouded her two friends inside. She put a finger to her lips in thought and then tapped the wall of sand as if tapping a person on the shoulder. She cleared her throat and took a short breath.

"If you don't mind terribly much, Red Desert of Salzen Grum, I have seen through your guise and would like very much if you release my friends. I have played your game and won. It is time to collect my prize."

The wind groaned as if realizing her logic and began to slow until it stopped all together. As the sand dropped to the ground a surprised Tarrant and Chessur stood and looked at the unscathed Alice staring back at them.

"How did you do that, Alice?" Tarrant asked and looked at the calm red sand that now surrounded them.

"I stood up to my own fears that were blinding me," she held out a hand to him which he took quickly. Chessure floated on behind them the rest of the walk until they reached the castle that had belonged to the Red Queen. He began to float just outside the rusting gate's hinges.

"Too much had taken place here," he drew with his claw in the air, "I think I will wait here for you two."

"Suit yourself," Alice shrugged and walked in with Tarrant not far behind with a hand over the sword he had borrowed from the knights of the White Queen. Alice stepped into the large throne room and remembered it being much smaller. Although the last time she was in it, she was easily twice her size. She took count of the doors and walked toward the second from the left, "Nivens said that this one should be her study."

"As long as we get out of here soon," Tarrant frowned and felt a bit of black seep into the colors of his eyes. He still remembered all that was endured in the castle walls. Not just himself, but by all inhabitants of Underland.

Alice found the office and then pulled long rolled tubes from a corner container. She unrolled a few dozen that were a mixture of maps and posters. Iracebeth was anything but humble, that was sure. She pulled out a few smaller rolls and finally found the one she was looking for. Her heart skipped a beat as her hand ran over the details of the other side of the checker board. A pull was felt much like when she found herself drawn to Tarrant.

"Tarrant?" she asked in a whisper.

He quickly walked to her side and looked at the map laid out in front of them.

"I know this place… but it's as if I had never been," Alice furrowed her brows and looked up at him. He reached down and wrapped the map up with a few others.

"I believe then that tea would be a good way to right the mind," he smiled one of his grins, "Don't you agree, Alice?"

She giggled a little to herself and nodded, "That is the absolute truth. Let's gather Chess and we can discuss this further."


End file.
